BioDIesel

 

For students, an internship in this field offers hands-on experience with innovative technologies, whether in biofuel production, green chemistry, or process engineering. Working in a biorefinery allows you to be part of the transition to a more sustainable and eco-friendly industrial future.

Partners

 

 

 Universidade Federal de Vicosa (UFV) is a federal university in the city of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Viçosa is a technical university and offers courses in engineering, agronomy, veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, and other areas related to science. 

 

Universidade Fedral de Minas Gerais (UFMG) offers public education on the two main campus areas and several off-side units, all found in the city of Belo Horizonte. The university offers undergraduate, master and PhD programs. Its programs covers all main education areas: social-, human- and basic sciences, among others.

 

Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) offers private education to around 60,000 students, divided over the different campuses in the Minas Gerais area. Most of the education is concentrated around the Belo Horizonte campus, divided in two university centers and three units. The education at PUC Minas is divided into separate research lines; Management, Religious Science, Social Sciences, Social Communication, Law, Education, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Teaching Science and Mathematics, Geography, Computer Sciences, Portuguese Language and Literature, Dentistry, Psychology, International Relations and Zoologie.

 

Topic for internships

 

Research topics for internships vary by period as they are aligned with the ongoing research at that time. Below are some examples of previous internships to get a feel of what's possible within the subject of Biodiesel

 

Universidade Federal de Vicosa (UFV)

Professor Fábio de Ávila Rodrigues

Professor Marcio Aredes Martins

Professor Ronaldo Perez

 

Simulation and optimization of biorefineries, mainly related to the production of biofuels (e.g., bioethanol, biodiesel, levulinic acid with professors Fábio/Marcio and technical and economic viability, competitiveness, industrial layout, legislation and investments with Professor Ronaldo).

Examples of previous internships:

  • Energy use of biogas from landfill effluent - Aspen modeling (Fabio,2);
  • Aspen modeling of biodiesel production via oil esterification (Fabio,4);
  • Charcoal cooling in a large rectangular furnace: modeling and CFD simulation (Marcio,30). 

 

Universidade Fedral de Minas Gerais (UFMG) 

Professor Vãnya Duarte Pasa

 

Production and testing of biodiesel. Focus is now also on Aviation fuels (biokerosine), biocoatings, bioresins and biopolymers.

Heterogeneous catalysis for the valorization of fossil-based hydrocarbon streams (can be residual or crude oil).

Pyrolysis.

The intern will be part of LEC – Laboratório de Combustíveis team, the research group on Biofuels and Biomaterials which is led by Vânya Duarte Pasa. The research group is part of the Departamento de Química at UFMG.  

 

Examples of previous internships:

  • Laboratory-scale biodiesel production from waste cooking oil by heterogeneous catalysis or enzymatic catalysis.
  • Biodiesel synthesis from catalytic route using alternative catalysts.
  • Production and characterization of biocomposites from macauba residue.
  • Biobased polyurethane coatings synthesized from biomass residue (37).
  • Determination of kinetic model parameters for biodiesel production using heterogeneous catalysts (21).

 

Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC Minas)

Professor Marcela Rabelo Menezes Vilela

 

Improvement of biodiesel production.

 

Examples of previous internships:

  • Purification of glycerin derivates from biodiesel production by adsorption and ion exchange (10, 39)
  • Reuse of residual cooking oil as raw material for biodiesel production (11)
  • Production of biodiesel from bovine tallow (38)

 

Qualifications

 

Examples of suitable academies

  • Bioprocess engineering
  • Biochemical engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Microbiology
  • Industrial microbiology

additional information

 

Possible internship periods 

September 2025 - January 2026

  

Working language

English

(preferably) Portuguese