Avaliação do monitoramento dos combustíveis do estado do Ceará

Abstract

Automotive fuels are essential to society, after all they move cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, among other vehicles. In this way, it can be said that fuels move society. Therefore, it is essential to monitor the quality of fuels so that possible fraud and non-compliance are identified and repaired. In view of this scenario, it is essential to approach the Fuel Quality Monitoring Program (PMQC) created by the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP) and which, for more than twenty years, has monitored the quality of fuels (more specifically, fuel ethanol, gasoline and diesel oil) sold in Brazil, contributing over the years to the reduction of non-compliance rates for automotive fuels. In the state of Ceará, the PMQC is carried out at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), through the Laboratory of Fuels and Lubricants (LCL), a service provision laboratory, belonging to the Research Group on Adsorption Separations (GPSA) linked to the Department of Chemical Engineering. Fuel monitoring is carried out through physical-chemical analyzes based on regulatory standards and specific resolutions for each fuel. The results of the analyzes are forwarded to the ANP through a program created by the agency, where, based on the results obtained, the ANP guides the necessary inspection actions. Based on the importance of fuels to society and in the context presented, the main objective of this work is to evaluate the monitoring of fuels in the state of Ceará, through the analyzes carried out by the LCL. A brief exposition of fuel ethanol, gasoline and diesel oil was presented. Analyzes, parameters and resolutions related to the three fuels in the monitoring program were also addressed. In addition, some aspects of the trajectory of the Fuel and Lubricant Laboratory were shown. Then, the PMQC methodology was presented, detailing the main analyzes carried out in each of the three program fuels. In short, it was possible to verify, through the results of the analyzes presented in the work, a significant decrease, over the years, of the rates of non-compliance of fuels. This shows how important the monitoring program is for the country. Thus, the existence of the program through monitoring the LCL has made it possible to maintain the quality of fuels in accordance with regulatory standards, preventing many fuel consumers from being harmed.