This work investigated the synthesis of biodiesel from palm oil, its thermal stability using the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Vyazovkin kinetic models and its thermoxidation using thermogravimetry. The obtained biodiesel was in accordance with the specifications of Resolution No. 7/2008 of the ANP. The 97.4% wt conversion of palm oil to methyl esters confirmed the efficiency of the conversion of fatty acids into esters. The thermal analysis was performed on a thermobalance using heating rates of 5, 10 and 20 degrees C min(-1). The oil exhibited two mass losses, and the biodiesel exhibited only one mass loss. The average values of the obtained apparent activation energies were 184.6 and 191.3 kJ mol(-1) for palm oil and 64.1 and 65.3 kJ mol(-1) for biodiesel. Additionally, the results indicate that thermal analysis can be used as a tool for monitoring the thermoxidation of biodiesel as a function of time. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.