Application of Biotechnological Method to Biodiesel Fuel Production using n-butanol

Abstract

Biodiesel fuel derived from oil (animal or vegetable origin, or used for frying) and alcohol is an alternative to traditional petroleum diesel fuel. The most popular kind of biodiesel fuel is rapeseed oil methylesters. Rapeseed oil butylesters have not been widely analyzed yet.

Transesterification of rapeseed oil was performed using n-butanol and immobilized lipase in the solvent-free medium. The most effective biocatalyst was selected from Novozym 435, Lipozyme TL IM, Lipozyme RM IM, lipase G and lipase F-EC. The most suitable lipase for that process was Lipozyme TL IM. The transesterification reaction was optimized in order to get a highest yield of rapeseed oil butylesters. Optimal conditions (temperature, lipase concentration, rapeseed oil and n-butanol stoichiometric ratio, and reaction duration) of a rapeseed oil butanolysis process were also determined.