Effects of Regioselectivity and Lipid Class Specificity of Lipases on Transesterification, Exemplified by Biodiesel Production

• Published in: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
• Main Authors: Šinkūnienė, Dovilė, Adlercreutz, Patrick
• Other Authors: Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas, Lietuvos Mokslo Taryba, European Social Fund
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2014
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11746-014-2465-7; http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11746-014-2465-7

Abstract Lipase‐catalyzed ethanolysis of triolein was studied as a model for biodiesel production. Four lipases were immobilized on porous polypropylene, and ethanolysis reactions were carried out in methyl t ‐butyl ether. The reaction products were analyzed using gas chromatography. Three of the four lipases studied were efficient in the conversion of triolein to 2‐monoolein, but slow in the final step of producing glycerol. However, Candida antarctica lipase B was slow in the conversion of triolein, but more efficient in the subsequent two steps than the other lipases. The 1,3‐selectivity of the lipases was less pronounced for the monooleins than for triolein. Silica gel was investigated as a catalyst for acyl migration, showing an increase in biodiesel yield with three of the lipases, but a reduction in yield when C. antarctica lipase B was used. The highest biodiesel yield (96 %) was obtained with a combination of Rhizopus arrhizus lipase and C. antarctica lipase B.