TRATAMIENTO DE DIÉSEL CON OZONO PARA LA PREPARACIÓN DE COMBUSTIBLES ALTERNATIVOS / DIESEL TREATMENT WITH OZONE TO OBTAIN AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL

Se estudio el tratamiento de un diesel comercial con ozono con el objetivo de mejorar las propiedades del combustiblerespecto al indice de cetano y a las emisiones indeseables. El tratamiento genero dos productos, una fase liquida y unafase solida, ambos con peso molecular superior y tension interfacial menor que el diesel original. En comparacion con eldiesel original, la fase liquida mostro un menor contenido de aromaticos y grupos carbonilos, y la fase solida un mayorcontenido de aromaticos y posiblemente de acidos carboxilicos, aldehidos y cetonas. Empleando la fase solida comoagente surfactante, se formulo una microemulsion w/o (80 % p/p fase liquida y 0,6 - 0,5 % p/p fase solida, 3 - 4,4 % p/pde 1-hexanol como co-surfactante, y 15 - 17 % p/p de agua). En relacion con el diesel original, la fase liquida presentoun contenido de azufre equivalente a una desulfuracion del 22% p/p y tanto la fase liquida como la microemulsion w/opresentaron una disminucion del contenido de Ni y un aumento de la °API y del indice de cetano, indicando que ambosproductos pueden emplearse como combustibles con mayor poder de ignicion y menor toxicidad que el diesel original. ABSTRACT The treatment of a commercial diesel with ozone was studied in order to improve the properties of the fuel with regardto Cetane index and undesirable emissions. Two products were generated by the treatment, a liquid phase and a solidphase. Both products showed higher molecular weight and lower interfacial tension than the original diesel. Comparedwith the original diesel, the liquid phase showed lower content of aromatics and carbonyl groups, whereas the solid phaseshowed higher content of aromatics and probably of acidic, carboxylic, aldehydes and ketones. By using the solid phaseas a surfactant, w/o microemulsion was formulated (80% p/p liquid phase and 0.6 - 0.5% w/w solid-phase, 3-4.4% w/wof 1-hexanol as co-surfactant, and 15-17% w/w of water). Compared with the original diesel, the liquid phase presenteda sulphur content equal to a desulfurization of 22% w/w and both the liquid phase and the w/o microemulsion showed adecrease of Ni content and an increase of the °API and the cetane index, indicating that both products may be used as fuelswith higher power of ignition and lower toxicity than the original diesel. Keywords: Sulfur, Diesel, Cetane Index, Ni, w/o Microemulsion, Ozone.