Development of integrated and sustainable processes involving alternative green solvents such as supercritical fluids and ionic liquids.
Application of supercritical fluids to separation processes:
- High pressure phase equilibria of multicomponent systems;
- Mass transfer kinetics and dynamic models of countercurrent packed columns in supercritical separation processes;
- Development of continuous reaction/separation processes for biodiesel production from industrial wastes, microalgae biomass, waste cooking oils, by employing supercritical fluid technology;
- Alkyl esters production via enzymatic or non-catalytic (trans)esterification in supercritical environment.
1. “Synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters via direct transesterification with methanol/carbon dioxide mixtures from spent coffee grounds feedstock”, Filipe Calixto, João Fernandes, Ricardo Couto, Elvis J. Hernández, Vesna Najdanovic-Visak, Pedro C. Simões, Green Chemistry, 2011, 13, 1196-1202.
2. “Continuous enzymatic production of biodiesel from virgin and waste sunflower oil in supercritical carbon dioxide”, Ana R. Rodrigues, Alexandre Paiva, Marco G. da Silva, Pedro Simões, Susana Barreiros, J. Supercritical Fluids 2011, 56(3), 259-264.
3. “Screening of ionic liquids as promising separation agents of oil mixtures for application in membranes”, Rui Ruivo, Ricardo Couto, Pedro C. Simões, Separation and Purification Technology 2010, 76, 84–88.
4. “Supercritical fluid extraction of lipids from the heterotrophic microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii”, Ricardo Miguel Couto, Pedro Calado Simões, Alberto Reis, Teresa Lopes Da Silva, Vítor Hugo Martins, Yolanda Sanchez-Vicent, Eng. Life Sci. 2010, 10, No. 2, 158-164.
5. “Supercritical fluid extraction of lipids from spent coffee grounds”, Ricardo M. Couto, João Fernandes, M.D.R. Gomes da Silva, Pedro C. Simões, J. Supercritical Fluids 2009, 51, 159–166.
6. “Application of CFD in the study of supercritical fluid extraction with structured packing: Wet pressure drop calculations”, João Fernandes, Pedro F. Lisboa, Pedro C. Simões, José P. B. Mota, Esteban Saatdjian, J. Supercritical Fluids 2009, 50(1), 61-68.
7. "Static Mixers As Heat Exchangers In Supercritical Fluid Extraction Processes”, Pedro C. Simões, Beatriz Afonso, João Fernandes, José P. B. Mota, J. Supercritical Fluids 2008, 43(3), 477-483