Enzymatic production of biodiesel in conventional and magnetically stabilized fluidized bed reactor

• Grant number: 09/15454-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2010
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal researcher: Heizir Ferreira de Castro
• Grantee: Weriton Renan Rodrigues Fidalgo
• Home Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this project is to enhance the enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel by ethyl route. It is based on the transesterification reaction of babassu oil with ethanol mediated by immobilized lipase running on fluidized bed reactor under continuous mode. The aim is to apply the process at industrial scale and obtain biodiesel having appropriate properties to be used as a fuel. The biodiesel production by enzymatic catalysis has the potential of overcoming problems of the conventional chemical route such as simplifying the post-treatment of the products (separation and purification), absence of soap formation through free fatty acid neutralization or triglyceride saponification, and it is low energy intensive. To develop the project, the chosen lipase will be immobilized on different organic-inorganic hybrid supports testing strategies for maximizing the process to run the fluidized bed reactor, such as alteration on the support granulometry, support activation with different agents; replacing the PVA for other organic component, such as ß-ciclodextrin and support magnetization. The first step will be based on the use of conventional fluidized bed reactor and the lipase from Burkholderia cepacia immobilized on organic-inorganic hybrid support, testing different reaction conditions, such as temperature and flow rates. The second step will be addressed to test the magnetically stabilized fluidized bed reactor. Results obtained using both reactor configurations will be compared and the best configuration will be select for further studies. The development of this project will be contributed to an important research area in the School of Engineering of Lorena (EEL) and helped to attain an attractive option to the conventional chemical route to be applied at industrial scale. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FIDALGO, WERITON R. R.; CERON, ANNIE; FREITAS, LARISSA; SANTOS, JULIO C.; DE CASTRO, HEIZIR F. A fluidized bed reactor as an approach to enzymatic biodiesel production in a process with simultaneous glycerol removal. JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY, v. 38, p. 217-223, JUN 25 2016. Web of Science Citations: 11.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

. Enzymatic biodiesel production in fluidized bed reactor from the ethanolysis of babassu oil: establishment of reaction and operational conditions. 2014. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL/ASDI) Lorena.