Optimization of alkyl ester production from grease using a phyllosilicate sol-gel immobilized lipase
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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Defining Substrate Specificities for Lipase and Phospholipase Candidates
Published on: November 23, 2016
An-Fei Hsu1, Kerby C Jones, Thomas A Foglia
1US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA. ahsu@arserrc.gov
Abstract:
Simple alkyl ester derivatives of restaurant grease were prepared using a lipase from Pseudomonoas cepacia immobilized within a phyllosilicate sol-gel matrix as biocatalyst. Alcoholysis reactions of grease were carried out in solvent-free media using a one-step addition of alcohol to the reaction mixture. The immobilized lipase was active from 40 to 70 degrees C. Ester yields (60-97%) were highest when using a ratio of reactants of 2 mmol grease to 8 mmol alcohol and the biocatalyst was 10% (w/w) of grease in the presence of molecular sieves.
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