Biodiesel synthesis from palm fatty acid distillate using enzyme immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles
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Biodiesel synthesis from palm fatty acid distillate using enzyme immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles Anilkumar R. Gupta1 · Virendra K. Rathod1 Received: 20 April 2020 / Accepted: 13 August 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract The present study deals with the esterification of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) using immobilized lipase on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to produce biodiesel in a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way. Commercially available lipase CALBEX was used for immobilization of lipase on MNPs. The effect of various reaction parameters including the methanol-to-PFAD molar ratio, biocatalyst loading, reaction temperature, and agitation speed was examined using a one-factor-at-a-time approach. Maximum PFAD conversion of 82.74% was achieved under mild reaction conditions, with a methanol-to-PFAD molar ratio of 1.6:1, biocatalyst loading of 8 wt% (lipase content 0.45 wt%), agitation speed of 150 rpm, reaction temperature of 50 °C, and reaction time of 10 h. The catalytic activity of MNP-CALBEX was compared with commercial Amberlyst-15 under similar reaction conditions. It was observed that MNP-CALBEX achieved 2.6-fold higher conversion than Amberlyst-15. The reusability of the immobilized biocatalyst was also tested to determine cost feasibility. It was observed that the immobilized biocatalyst could be used up to five cycles, with residual conversion of 80.19% in the fifth cycle. Keywords FAME · PFAD · Enzyme · Immobilization · Magnetic nanoparticles
1 Introduction Energy consumption has increased globally due to population explosion and industrialization, resulting in a serious energy crisis [1]. In the current scenario, the energy required in the transport sector is supplied by conventional fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas [2]. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources, and are the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in the environment [3]. Also, the continuous hike in the price of the limited stock of fossil fuel has caused policymakers to consider alternative options such as biodiesel and bioethanol, especially in developing countries like India [4]. India ranked third in the world after the USA and China in oil consumption in 2018 [5]. Moreover, there is a huge gap between domestic crude oil production and consumption.
India’s crude oil production has declined continuously over the past 7 years (2012–2018), with dependence on imports rising to 84% [6]. India spent Rs 4.7 lakh crore, or USD 70.196 billion, on crude oil imports in 2016–2017 [7]. However, biofuel can be used to replace a percentage of liquid fossil fuel, which can help in reducing the massive outflow of foreign currency [8]. In this context, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, approved a national policy on biofuel in 2018, targeting a 5% blend of biodiesel in diesel and 20% blend in ethanol in petrol by 2030 [9]. Biodiesel or fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) is a renewable and biodegradable fuel alternative to petroleum diesel. It can be produced from th
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