Production of Aguardente from Sweet Potato Fermentation

Undergraduate student in the Chemical Engineering program at Universidade de Uberaba.

Undergraduate student in the Chemical Engineering program at Universidade de Uberaba.

Undergraduate student in the Chemical Engineering program at Universidade de Uberaba.

Undergraduate student at Universidade de Uberaba.

Undergraduate student in the Chemical Engineering program at Universidade de Uberaba.

Undergraduate student in the Chemical Engineering program at Universidade de Uberaba.

Holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (1973), a master's degree in Food Engineering from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (1984), and a Ph.D. in Food Engineering from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (1989). Currently, he is a professor in the Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Program at Universidade de Uberaba (UNIUBE), Coordinator of the Professional Master's Program in Chemical Engineering, and a professor in the Master's Program in Animal Health and Production in the Tropics. Previously, he was a professor in the Graduate and Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Programs at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia and a CNPq research productivity fellow at the same institution. He also served as a professor in the Food Engineering Program at Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (Erechim, RS) and in the Food Engineering Program at Faculdades Integradas FAZU (Uberaba, MG). He has expertise in Chemical and Food Engineering, with an emphasis on Industrial Operations and Equipment for the Food and Chemical Industries. His main research topics include drying, crystallization (sucrose and citric acid), drying of pasty materials and drying with inert media, coffee and grain drying, heat and mass transfer in vibrated systems, sucrose production, biodiesel manufacturing, and mass and energy balances.

Master’s degree in Education from the Universidade de Uberaba – UNIUBE (University of Uberaba). Holds a postgraduate specialization in Applied Statistics and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from UNIUBE (2006). Currently serves as a lecturer at the University of Uberaba and as a teacher at Escola Estadual Henrique Kruger. Member of the Pedagogical Management Center (NGPR), working as Mathematics coordinator in the Learning Recovery Program – PRA/MG.

Holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, with emphasis on Agroindustrial Chemical Processing, from the Universidade de Uberaba – UNIUBE (University of Uberaba). Postgraduate in Petroleum and Gas Engineering from UNIASSELVI. Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering from UNIUBE and a Technical degree in Mechanics. Currently pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree at the Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro – UFTM (Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro) and a postgraduate specialization in Industrial Equipment Engineering at UNISANTA. He is a lecturer in Engineering programs, teaching Graphic Expression (on-site) and Fluid Mechanics (on-site and distance learning). In distance education, he also teaches General Mechanics, Fluids and Thermodynamics, Hydraulics, Unit Operations, Strength of Materials, and Project Management. Has experience in Production Engineering, particularly in railway maintenance and industrial management. Worked as a consultant in analysis, diagnosis, and modeling of production processes, including flow mapping, analysis of integrated systems, and optimization of industrial activities.

Ana Flávia Mendonça Santana holds a Technical Degree in Chemistry from the Instituto Federal do Triângulo Mineiro – IFTM (Federal Institute of the Triângulo Mineiro, 2014). She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidade de Uberaba – UNIUBE (University of Uberaba, 2019), a postgraduate specialization in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering from UNOPAR (2021), and an MBA in Production Engineering from UNIUBE (2024). She completed her Professional Master’s in Chemical Engineering at UNIUBE (2023), with a concentration in Development of Chemical and Agroindustrial Processes. She has extensive experience in physicochemical laboratories and quality control, in industrial, academic, and research settings, with solid knowledge of analytical techniques, laboratory equipment, and process optimization. Worked as a researcher at the University of Uberaba with funding from FAPEMIG (BDCTI I, Dec/2023 to May/2025, APQ-012303-23). Currently, she is a Process Analyst (Pleno level) at a research and development center of Galvani Fertilizantes in Uberaba, Minas Gerais — a Brazilian company with more than 50 years of experience in the fertilizer sector, with industrial sites in Bahia — and serves as a lecturer at the University of Uberaba, teaching in the Chemical Engineering and Animal Science (Zootecnia) programs in distance-learning (EAD) format.