Patents by Inventor Márcio de Figueiredo Portilho

Márcio de Figueiredo Portilho has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11944955
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a catalyst and pre-treatment process for acidic charges consisting of sulfated zirconia and cerium for the production of biofuels, characterized in that the catalyst has greater activity and resistance to deactivation with acidic charges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.—Petrobras
    Inventors: Cristina Pontes Bittencourt Quitete, Vitor Loureiro Ximenes, Marcio De Figueiredo Portilho
  • Publication number: 20240043366
    Abstract: Disclosed is a catalyst based on synthetic silica, in a heterogeneous catalysis method, to promote the effective conversion of residual glycerin, resulting from the production of biodiesel, into formic acid with high selectivity and stability, in a continuous flow reaction. The conversion of residual glycerin occurs by homogeneous catalysis, by the action of components remaining from the synthesis of biodiesel, with the formation of major compounds, such as formic acid, cyclic ethers and diglycerol, in continuous flow and reflow reactions. The reaction can also be carried out by adding sodium salts in the homogeneous catalytic conversion process of commercial glycerin. The process values the residual glycerin, without the need for purification before its transformation into products with high added value, but of renewable origin, adding more interest and potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2021
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Marcio DE FIGUEIREDO PORTILHO, Ana PACHELI HEITMANN RODRIGUES, Poliane CHAGAS, Cíntia DE CASTRO OLIVEIRA, Samuel MOURA BREDER, Alexander RANGEL BASTOS, Luiz Carlos ALVES DE OLIVEIRA, Daniel LARA SANGIORGE
  • Publication number: 20220410126
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a catalyst and pre-treatment process for acidic charges consisting of sulfated zirconia and cerium for the production of biofuels, characterized in that the catalyst has greater activity and resistance to deactivation with acidic charges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Cristina Pontes Bittencourt Quitete, Vitor Loureiro Ximenes, Marcio De Figueiredo Portilho
  • Publication number: 20220009871
    Abstract: The present invention describes a selective glycerol oxidation process comprising a set of steps. In the first step, a glycerol-containing raw material and an oxidizing agent are fed into a reaction vessel containing an iron oxide-containing catalyst. Subsequently, the glycerol-containing raw material, the oxidizing agent, and said iron oxide-containing catalyst are brought into contact at a temperature in the range of 100 to 350° C., wherein the glycerol-oxidation reaction occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicants: PETRÓLEO BRASILEIRO S.A. - PETROBRAS, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS - UFMG
    Inventors: Marcio DE FIGUEIREDO PORTILHO, Victor Augusto ARAUJO DE FREITAS, Luiz Carlos ALVES DE OLIVEIRA
  • Patent number: 10266781
    Abstract: The present invention describes a process for purifying biodiesel without using a filter aid, in which purification of the biodiesel takes place by a sequence of washing operations after the reaction section, with stirring that is sufficiently vigorous to assist in the transformation of the molecules of esterified steryl glycosides, in order to convert them to a chemical form that can be removed by the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: PETRÓLEO BRASILEIRO S.A.—PETROBRAS
    Inventors: Jose Antonio Vidal Vieira, Vitor Loureiro Ximenes, Carolina Ludwig Quintani, Marcio De Figueiredo Portilho, Roberto Ricardo Rangel
  • Publication number: 20180094201
    Abstract: The present invention describes a process for purifying biodiesel without using a filter aid, in which purification of the biodiesel takes place by a sequence of washing operations after the reaction section, with stirring that is sufficiently vigorous to assist in the transformation of the molecules of esterified steryl glycosides, in order to convert them to a chemical form that can be removed by the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: PETROLEO BRASILEIRO S.A. - PETROBRAS
    Inventors: Jose Antonio Vidal VIEIRA, Vitor Loureiro XIMENES, Carolina Ludwig QUINTANI, Marcio DE FIGUEIREDO PORTILHO, Roberto Ricardo RANGEL
  • Patent number: 8853436
    Abstract: Method for transesterification of fatty acid esters. The method includes contacting (i) a catalyst comprising at least one of barium oxide and apatite with (ii) a reaction medium comprising at least one of vegetable oil and fats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.-Petrobras
    Inventors: Márcio de Figueiredo Portilho, Alexander Rangel Bastos
  • Publication number: 20140046082
    Abstract: Method for transesterification of fatty acid esters. The method includes contacting (i) a catalyst comprising at least one of barium oxide and apatite with (ii) a reaction medium comprising at least one of vegetable oil and fats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: PETROLEO BRASILEIRO S.A.- PETROBRAS
    Inventors: Márcio de Figueiredo Portilho, Alexander Rangel Bastos
  • Patent number: 8034130
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of alkyl esters of carboxylic acids for use as biodiesel starting from the reaction of transesterification of triglycerides originating from oils and fats of vegetable or animal origin, which can be used individually or in mixtures with one another in any proportions, employing heterogeneous catalysis by means of protonated lamellar titanate catalysts in nanostructured form, and said forms can comprise, among in other forms, nanotubes, nanofibres or nanosheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.-Petrobras
    Inventors: Márcio de Figueiredo Portilho, Edisson Morgado, Jr., Marco Antonio Santos De Abreu
  • Publication number: 20100163793
    Abstract: This invention belongs to the field of catalysts for the transesterification of triglycerides, for the production of fatty acid glycerin and esters. This invention describes preparatory methods using solid catalysts and the formulation of these catalysts for the production of fatty acid esters, glycerin, and specifically, biodiesel through the heterogeneous transesterification reaction of triglycerides present in vegetable oils and fats, like soy, cotton seed, canola, castor, peanut oils and animal fat. The solid catalysts of this invention are sufficiently magnetic to use in the production of biodiesel from vegetable oils and fats, not only because they work in a similar fashion as state of the art catalysts, but also because of the low cost of the raw materials used in its production. The invention even describes the composition obtained by using the catalysts, in which the purity of the products, such as biodiesel and glycerin is greater than 96.5%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: PETROLEO BRASILEIRO S.A. - PETROBRAS
    Inventors: Marcio de Figueiredo Portilho, Alexander Rangel Bastos
  • Publication number: 20090151234
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of alkyl esters of carboxylic acids for use as biodiesel starting from the reaction of transesterification of triglycerides originating from oils and fats of vegetable or animal origin, which can be used individually or in mixtures with one another in any proportions, employing heterogeneous catalysis by means of protonated lamellar titanate catalysts in nanostructured form, and said forms can comprise, among in other forms, nanotubes, nanofibres or nanosheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Marcio de Figueiredo PORTILHO, Edisson MORGADO, JR., Marco Antonio Santos DE ABREU
  • Publication number: 20080295393
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of methods used for the transesterification of oils and fats in order to produce diesel oil. The invention provides a novel method for the production of diesel oil by transesterifying fatty acid esters present in vegetable oils and fats, using a novel catalyst consisting of the oxide of a group V metal and having the formula X2O5, such as niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5). Unlike in the methods used traditionally according to the prior art, the oils are converted here into high-purity products, including glycerol, in yields of the order of 100%, while using significantly less catalyst for a quantity of oil processed, when e.g. soya-bean oil, cotton-seed oil and canola oil are processed by the method according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: PETROLEO BRASILEIRO S.A. - PETROBRAS
    Inventors: Marcio de Figueiredo Portilho, Jose Antonio Vidal Vieira, Jose Luiz Zotin, Michele Sabba da Silva Lima