Development of a novel integrated continuous reactor system for biocatalytic production of biodiesel

A novel integrated immobilized enzyme-reactor system involving a continuous stirred tank reactor with two packed bed reactors in series was developed for the continuous production of biodiesel. The problem of methanol solubility into oil was solved by introducing a stirred tank reactor to dissolve methanol into partially converted oil. This step made the process perfectly continuous without requiring any organic solvent and intermittent methanol addition in the process. The substrate feeding rate of 0.74 mL/min and enzyme loading of 0.75 g per reactor were determined to be optimum for maximum biodiesel yield. The integrated continuous process was stable up to 45 cycles with biodiesel productivity of 137.2 g/L/h, which was approximately 5 times higher than solvent free batch process. In comparison with the processes reported in literature using expensive Novozyme 435 and hazardous organic solvent, the present process is completely green and perfectly continuous with economic and environmental advantages.