Biodiesel with low temperature properties: Enzymatic synthesis of fusel alcohol fatty acid ester in a solvent free system

Abstract

Poor low temperature behavior, the critical defect of biodiesel, limits its utilization in cold districts. This research provided a new biodiesel production process by enzymatic synthesis using fusel alcohol and fatty acid esters in a solvent free system with a significant effect on the improvement of biodiesel's low temperature performance. The optimal conditions for the enzymatic reaction of fusel alcohol and waste cooking oil (WCO) esters were established: immobilized lipase 14% (w/w), total water content 5% (w/w), 40 °C, three-times feeding daily, shaking speed 200 rpm. The ester yield reached 90.4% under optimal conditions. The cold filter plugging point (CFPP) of the fusel alcohol esters was −11 °C, 16 °C lower than the methyl esters of the WCO. The green enzymatic synthesis process and the CFPP results were examined in this research.