0000000000666778
AUTHOR
Vasudeo Zambare
A thermo-alkaline lipase from a new thermophileGeobacillus thermodenitrificansAV-5 with potential application in biodiesel production
BACKGROUND A thermophilic lipase-producing Geobacillus thermodenitrificans strain AV-5 was isolated from the Mushroom Spring of Yellowstone National Park in WY, USA and studied as a source of lipase for transesterification of vegetable oils to biodiesel. RESULTS A maximum activity of 330 U mL−1 was produced on 2% (v/v) waste cooking oil at 50 °C, pH 8, aeration rate of 1 vvm and agitation speed of 400 rpm. However, the higher lipase productivity (14.04 U mL−1 h−1) was found at a volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa) value of 18.48 h−1. The partially purified lipase had a molecular weight, temperature and pH optimum of 50 kDa, 65 °C and pH 9, respectively, and was thermo-alkali stable…
Enzymatic biodiesel: Challenges and opportunities
The chemical-catalyzed transesterification of vegetable oils to biodiesel has been industrially adopted due to its high conversion rates and low production time. However, this process suffers from several inherent drawbacks related to energy-intensive and environmentally unfriendly processing steps such as catalyst and product recovery, and waste water treatment. This has led to the development of the immobilized enzyme catalyzed process for biodiesel production which is characterized by certain environmental and economical advantages over the conventional chemical method. These include room-temperature reaction conditions, elimination of treatment costs associated with recovery of chemical…