Abstract
An alternative route to produce biodiesel is based on esterification of free fatty acids present in byproducts obtained from vegetable oil refining, such as palm oil fatty acid distillate (PFAD). PFAD is a byproduct of the production of edible palm oil, which contains 96 wt.% of free fatty acids. The purpose of this work was to study biodiesel synthesis via esterification of PFAD with methanol and ethanol, catalyzed by commercial immobilized lipases (Novozym 435, Lipozyme RM-IM, and Lipozyme TL-IM), in a solvent-free system. The effects of reaction parameters such as type of lipase, enzyme amount, type of alcohol, alcohol amount, and enzyme reuse were studied. Fatty acid conversion of 93% was obtained after 2.5 h of esterification reaction between PFAD and ethanol using 1.0 wt.% of Novozym 435 at 60°C.
Highlights
Biodiesel is defined as monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids, preferentially methyl and ethyl esters, derived from renewable feedstock, such as vegetable oils or animal fats [1]
An alternative route to produce biodiesel is based on esterification of free fatty acids present in high concentrations in byproducts obtained from vegetable oil refining [3]
palm oil fatty acid distillate (PFAD) was characterized according to its physicochemical properties (Table 1)
Summary
Biodiesel is defined as monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids, preferentially methyl and ethyl esters, derived from renewable feedstock, such as vegetable oils or animal fats [1]. Biodiesel is a biodegradable and nonpolluting fuel that has received increasing attention in the recent past. The major barrier for the commercialization of biodiesel is its high manufacturing cost [2]. An alternative route to produce biodiesel is based on esterification of free fatty acids present in high concentrations in byproducts obtained from vegetable oil refining [3]. Deodorizer distillates and soapstock are the major byproducts from vegetable oil refining. They have little commercial value and are sold at a fraction of the oil cost [4]
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