Risk mitigation of biodiesel production through the replacement of methanol by ethanol in the production process Fernanda T. M. Martins, João F. Mitre, Geraldo de S. Ferreira Process Safety Progress, 2020 Although biodiesel is considered a safe substance for the environment, its production can be dangerous because it involves flammable and toxic substances, such as methanol. In addition to the risks associated with fire and explosions, methanol also implies a risk to the health of workers who are constantly inhaling this product, even in low concentrations. Despite all the associated risks, most Brazilian industries produce biodiesel from methanol. Aiming to find an alternative to make the production process of biodiesel safer, several research studies were carried out in which the advantages and disadvantages of methanol substitution for ethanol were raised. From there, it was found that the biggest advantage is actually making the production process safer. However, it has been found that this proposal is still not feasible because the production of biodiesel by an ethyl route raises the cost of production considerably. In view of the foregoing, it was concluded that the alternative presented is only feasible through measures that compensate for the increase in costs, such as fiscal incentives.
