REDESTILAÇÃO DE FRAÇÕES DA CACHAÇA PARA PRODUÇÃO DE ETANOL HIDRATADO

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of redistilling cachaça fractions to produce hydrated ethanol. The research was conducted using still distillation, using samples of the head, heart, and tail fractions of previously produced cachaças. Cachaça is the most widely consumed distilled beverage in Brazil. Produced since the 16th century, it has an alcohol content of between 38% and 48%, and when made in a still, only the "heart" fraction is used for distillation, ensuring better aroma and flavor. Cachaça distillation separates the volatile fractions of the wine heated in the still, concentrating the ethanol and aromatic compounds. The work presented here aims to extract fractions, primarily the tail and head fractions—leftover from distillation that are not used in the commercialization of cachaça due to their harmful compounds and undesirable flavor and aroma for the final product—and the heart fraction. Double distillation and generation of ethanol and alcohols with different concentrations that may have other industrial uses. The redistillation and distillate analyses were performed in the Sugarcane Production Technology (LTS) and Unit Operations Processes (LAPOU) laboratories of the Center for Technology and Regional Development (CTDR) at UFPB. In this experiment, several analyses were performed. The redistillation products were subjected to analyses for alcohol content, acidity, specific gravity, pH, pH, conductivity, and density. All containers containing various samples of the Syrup and Heart fractions were combined. The total yield was 10,219 ml of heart and 10,760 ml of syrup. They were double-distilled in assembled and adapted equipment, following the distillation course, an increase in ethanol concentration was noted, varying between. Regarding content, only sample "heart 1" with 42.2°GL was within the limit range between 38 and 48°GL. Regarding the Ethanol obtained with distillation instrument, no sample proved to be favorable in terms of alcohol content for a Hydrated Ethanol. Among the specific mass, none of the following samples reached the parameter, except for a proximity that was "sample 1 (Saturday)" of a limit of 0.8112 g/cm3 obtaining 0.8671 g/cm3. As for pH, no sample was also satisfactory for the parameter of 6 to 8 for a Hydrated Ethanol. For conductivity, all samples were successful, being within the expected limit, being less than 300 of a maximum of 30 mg CH3 COOH/100ml of acidity alcohol. Only “sample 2 (Sunday)” exceeded the limit, reaching 44.99 mg CH3 COOH/100ml. All other samples were positive.