Advantages And Limitations Of Beef Tallow As Feedstock For Brazilian Biodiesel Industry

Recently, the global shortage of fossil fuels, as well as political, economic and environmental issues, have boosted the search for fuels obtained from renewable sources. In this context, biodiesel emerges as a promising substitute fuel for mineral diesel, either partially or totally. Brazil is the second largest biodiesel producer and consumer in the world and beef tallow is the second most used feedstock to produce this biofuel in the country, after soybean. Thus, this review deals with the main advantages and limitations related to beef tallow use as source for biodiesel production in Brazil. It is emphasized beef tallow economical and environmental factors, its physical and chemical properties, as well as aspects concerning its production chain.