Biorrefinaria de soja: prospecções tecnológicas baseadas em análises bibliométricas e mapas de redes

Abstract

Global warming and increasing pollution of the land and seas have become global concerns. This fact, linked to the imminent scarcity of traditional forms of energy, has motivated the implementation of more sustainable production systems, such as biorefineries. These units are industrial complexes capable of combining technologies and processes in the same plant, generating biofuels, value-added chemicals and energy. Among the raw materials that can be used, there is the use of soy, a legume that has been standing out in terms of production worldwide. There are several possibilities for processing this input, however, it is estimated that 85% of its production is destined for crushing, producing defatted soybean meal and soybean oil. During the processing steps of these products, substances rich in free fatty acids, phospholipids and other substances are generated, which can be used as raw material for subsequent processes. However, the implementation of new production steps that enable the full use of biomass, need to be investigated and based on strategic aspects that ensure the allocation of resources in relevant scientific research and with real growth possibilities. In view of this, the present work aimed to evaluate the scenarios of soybean biorefineries through a bibliometric investigation capable of predicting technological prospects for the topic. To this end, complex citation networks related to the identified inputs were created, which were evaluated according to their topographic characteristics. It was possible to identify emerging topics and create possible integration scenarios, based on technology growth estimates.