Selection of CalB immobilization method to be used in continuous oil transesterification: Analysis of the economical impact

• Published in: Enzyme and Microbial Technology
• Main Authors: Severac, Etienne, Galy, Olivier, Turon, Fabrice, Azzaro-Pantel, Catherine, Condoret, Jean-Stéphane, Monsan, Pierre, Marty, Alain
• Other Authors: Syngenta France, Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et des Procédés (LISBP), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Syngenta Seeds SAS; Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (ANRT)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: Lipase B from Candida antarctica; Immobilization; Packed bed reactor; Transesterification; LIPASE-CATALYZED-HYDROLYSIS; CANDIDA-ANTARCTICA-LIPASE; BIODIESEL PRODUCTION; POLYPROPYLENE POWDER; ENZYMATIC TRANSESTERIFICATION; INTERFACIAL ADSORPTION; HYDROPHOBIC SUPPORTS; KINETIC RESOLUTION; BED BIOREACTOR; RUGOSA LIPASE; Net present value; Accurel; [CHIM.GENI]Chemical Sciences/Chemical engineering; [SPI.GPROC]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Chemical and Process Engineering; Rugosa; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02646539; https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02646539/document; https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02646539/file/Severac_27441.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2010.09.008

International audience Enzymatic transesterification of triglycerides in a continuous way is always a great challenge with a large field of applications for biodiesel, bio-lubricant, bio-surfactant, etc. productions. The lipase B from Candida antarctica (CalB) is the most appreciated enzyme because of its high activity and its non-regio-selectivity toward positions of fatty acid residues on glycerol backbone of triglycerides. Nevertheless, in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, we demonstrated that the medium hydrophilic nature of the support used for its commercial form (Lewatit VPOC1600) is a limitation. Glycerol is adsorbed onto support inducing drastic decrease in enzyme activity. Glycerol would form a hydrophilic layer around the enzyme resulting in diffusional limitations during triglyceride transfer to the enzyme. Accurel MP, a very hydrophobic macroporous polymer of propylene, was found not to adsorb glycerol. Immobilization conditions using this support were optimized. The best support was Accurel MP1001 (particle size<1000μm) and a pre-treatment of the support with acetone instead of ethanol enables the adsorption rate and the immobilized enzyme quantity to be maximized. An economical approach (maximization of the process net present value) was expanded in order to explore the impact of immobilization on development of an industrial packed bed reactor. The crucial ratio between the quantity of lipase and the quantity of support, taking into account enzyme, support and equipped packed bed reactor costs was optimized in this sense. The biocatalyst cost was found as largely the main cost centre (2–10 times higher than the investments for the reactor vessel). In consequence, optimal conditions for immobilization were a compromise between this immobilization yield (90% of lipase immobilized), biocatalyst activity, reactor volume and total investments.