Results in Engineering (Jun 2024)
Evaluation of mesoporous silica particles as a support for lipase immobilization in biodiesel production: Enhanced ethyl ester synthesis from algal oil
Abstract
The utilization of novel materials in the biofuel production domain has been regarded as a significant advancement in catalyst development. Incorporating lipases in biodiesel manufacturing is often viewed as a cost-restrictive phase since the expenses associated with recovering these catalysts can render market expectations unfeasible. Within this investigation, mesoporous silica (MPS) particles were assessed as a supporting medium for immobilizing commercial lipase, subsequent to their utilization in ethyl ester synthesis. Initially, the production of mesoporous silica was achieved through the co-precipitation technique at a consistent pH and was subsequently chosen as an immobilization support for the enzyme. The characterization of the biocatalyst support materials produced was performed using various analytical methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and BET analysis. The Novozym 435 lipase was then immobilized within the matrices, followed by the transesterification process of algal oil derived from Nannochloropsis. The resulting biodiesel samples demonstrated compliance with commercial standards, exhibiting an ester conversion rate exceeding 94.8 %. Additionally, properties such as density (0.93 g cm−3) and viscosity (5.01 mm2 s−1) satisfied the specifications mandated by ASTM for biofuel application. Experimental planning techniques showed that increasing lipase loading and using temperatures between 38 and 48 °C resulted in higher conversion rates of ethyl esters. This confirms the effectiveness of the enzymatic catalyst in generating primary fatty acid esters, even with residual lipid feedstocks.
