Recebido em 23/06/2014; aceito em 19/11/2014; publicado na web em 03/03/2015 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND CRYSTALLIZATION TEMPERATURES OF ESTERS OBTAINED FROM FOUR VEGETABLE OILS EXTRACTED FROMSEEDS OF BRAZILIAN CERRADO PLANTS. The seed oils from four plants (Scheelea phalerata, Butia capitata, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Terminalia cattapa) found in Mato Grosso do Sul were extracted at good yields. Alkaline transesterification of these seed oils to esters using methanol and ethanol was studied and also produced good yields. Oleic acid (30.5/32.3%), lauric acid (30.7/32.9%) methyl and ethyl esters, were the main components of transesterification of the oils from Scheelea phalerata and Syagrus romanzoffiana. Lauric acid (42.2%), capric acid (15.9%) and caprylic acid (14.6%) methyl and ethyl esters were the main ester components of transesterification of the oil from Butia capitata. Oleic acid (37.8%), palmitic acid (33.5%) and linoleic acid (22.6%) methyl and ethyl esters were the main components of transesterification of oil from Terminalia catappa. Based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies, the first crystallization peak temperature of esters was observed. Esters derived from oils of the family Arecaceae (Scheelea phalerata, Butia capitata, Syagrus romanzoffiana) showed the lowest points of crystallization, despite having high levels of saturated fat. Esters of Terminalia cattapa oil, rich in unsaturated fat, showed the highest crystallization temperature. This difference in behavior is probably related to the high concentration of esters derived from lauric acid and palmitic acid. INTRODUÇÃO Ésteres de óleos vegetais têm sido amplamente utilizados na indústria química, sendo que, atualmente, o uso destes compostos tem sua importância aumentada para a produção de biodiesel. Muitos estudos têm voltado atenção para a caracterização das propriedades dos ésteres (por exemplo, ponto de fulgor, índice de cetano, viscosidade, ponto de nuvem, ponto de fluidez e temperatura de cristalização).