Dynamic modeling of biodiesel production from simulated waste cooking oil using immobilized lipase

The effectiveness of lipase immobilized on ceramic beads, in the production of biodiesel from simulated waste cooking oil in organic solvent system, was compared to that of free lipase. Experimental determination of the effect of concentrations of methanol on the rate of the enzymatic transesterification was experimentally determined. In addition, the effectiveness of lipases from bacterial and yeast sources for biodiesel production from simulated waste cooking oil was compared. A kinetic model was developed to describe the system, taking into consideration the mass transfer resistances of the reactants. Inhibition effects by both substrates on the interfacial reaction were also considered. The experimental results were used to determine the kinetic parameters of the proposed model and to determine the effect of mass transfer. On the other hand, it was shown that biodieasel can be produced in considerable amounts, with yield reaching 40%, in absence of organic solvent using immobilized lipase from P. cepacia on ceramic beads.