Enzymatic transesterification of Jatropha oil
2009

Biodiesel Production from Jatropha Oil Using Enzymatic Transesterification

publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Kumari Annapurna, Mahapatra Paramita, Garlapati Vijay Kumar, Banerjee Rintu

Primary Institution: Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Hypothesis

Can immobilized lipase from Enterobacter aerogenes effectively catalyze the transesterification of Jatropha oil in the presence of t-butanol?

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that biodiesel can be efficiently synthesized from Jatropha oil using immobilized E. aerogenes lipase in t-butanol, achieving a maximum yield of 94%.

Supporting Evidence

  • The maximum yield of biodiesel was 94% with a specific oil:methanol molar ratio and enzyme concentration.
  • Immobilized lipase showed negligible loss of activity even after seven cycles of use.
  • Using t-butanol reduced the negative effects of methanol and glycerol on lipase activity.

Takeaway

Scientists found a way to make biodiesel from Jatropha oil using a special enzyme, which worked really well when mixed with a certain type of alcohol.

Methodology

Transesterification of Jatropha oil was performed using immobilized lipase from Enterobacter aerogenes in t-butanol solvent, with various reaction parameters studied.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on the use of t-butanol and does not explore other potential solvents or long-term operational stability beyond 20 cycles.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1754-6834-2-1

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