Transesterification of waste cooking oil with a commercial liquid biocatalyst: Key information revised and new insights

Abstract

The transesterification of the waste cooking oil (WCO) with various linear alcohols (C1 to C4) using the commercial biocatalyst Eversa® Transform in its liquid form is addressed in this investigation. The influence of the amount of the liquid formulation of lipase Eversa® Transform, nature of alcohol, oil to alcohol molar ratio and water addition in the transesterification of fresh sunflower oil and WCO was investigated. In addition, an innovative combination of that fungal based biocatalyst with a native vegetable lipase, known as Araujia sericifera (ASL), in a liquid formulation fashion was investigated. The assays carried out at 35°C for 24 h, an oil: alcohol molar ratio of 1:6.8, 2% v/w water added and 1% v/w of biocatalyst allowed to obtain up to 90% conversion and yield towards fatty acid methyl, ethyl and propyl esters. In the particular case of 1-butanol (C4) a 79% conversion and 72% yield to the esters was obtained. The biocatalyst maintains about 60% of its activity in the conversion of glycerides and yield towards the esters. The combination of process using Eversa® Transform and then the ASL lipase in the transesterification of the WCO probed efficient in the conversion of triglycerides using 1-butanol. A shift from 73 wt % of fatty acid butyl esters (FABE) towards 90 wt % was achieved.