Optimization of the production of enzymatic biodiesel from residual babassu oil (Orbignya sp.) via RSM

• Main Authors: Moreira, Katerine S., Moura Júnior, Lourembergue S., Monteiro, Rodolpho R. C., Oliveira, André L. B. de, Valle, Camila P., Freire, Tiago M., Fechine, Pierre B. A., Souza, Maria C. M. de, Fernández-Lorente, Gloria, Guisán, José Manuel, Santos, José C. S. dos
• Other Authors: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil), Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
• Language: unknown
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2020
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/209442; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10040414; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002322; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100005283; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003545; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003593

This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Immobilized Enzyme as Catalysts in Chemical Synthesis. Residual oil from babassu (Orbignya sp.), a low-cost raw material, was used in the enzymatic esterification for biodiesel production, using lipase B from Candida antarctica (Novozym® 435) and ethanol. For the first time in the literature, residual babassu oil and Novozym® 435 are being investigated to obtain biodiesel. In this communication, response surface methodology (RSM) and a central composite design (CCD) were used to optimize the esterification and study the effects of four factors (molar ratio (1:1–1:16, free fatty acids (FFAs) /alcohol), temperature (30–50 °C), biocatalyst content (0.05–0.15 g) and reaction time (2–6 h)) in the conversion into fatty acid ethyl esters. Under optimized conditions (1:18 molar ratio (FFAs/alcohol), 0.14 g of Novozym® 435, 48 °C and 4 h), the conversion into ethyl esters was 96.8%. It was found that after 10 consecutive cycles of esterification under optimal conditions, Novozym® 435 showed a maximum loss of activity of 5.8%, suggesting a very small change in the support/enzyme ratio proved by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and insignificant changes in the surface of Novozym® 435 proved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after the 10 consecutive cycles of esterification. This research was funded by Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP), grant numbers BP3-0139-00005.01.00/18 and PNE-0112-00048.01.00/16, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), grant numbers 422942/2016-2, 409058/2015-5, 408790/2016-4, and 311062/2019-9. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Ensino Superior (CAPES-Finance Code 001).