Transesterification in Microreactors-Overstepping Obstacles and Shifting Towards Biodiesel Production on a Microscale

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Biodiesel is crucial for commercial diesel, but conventional production struggles with demand.
• Process intensification, focusing on micro-level equipment and enzymatic routes, is key to increasing biodiesel productivity.
• Deep eutectic solvents (DES) offer a novel approach to enzyme stabilization in biodiesel synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the intensification of enzymatic biodiesel production using microreactor technology.
• To evaluate the efficacy of lipase from *Thermomyces lanuginosus* (TlL) with different reaction media (buffer and DES).
• To analyze the impact of microreactor configurations and reaction conditions on biodiesel yield and volumetric productivity.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic transesterification of edible and waste sunflower oil with methanol using *Thermomyces lanuginosus* lipase.
• Comparison of reaction media: buffer versus deep eutectic solvents (DES).
• Utilized batch reactors and various microreactor configurations to optimize the process.

Main Results:

• A microreactor system with waste oil and commercial TlL enzyme in buffer yielded 32% biodiesel in 30 minutes.
• Biodiesel synthesis in DES showed lower yields but improved with increased water content.
• Analysis of reaction conditions demonstrated effects on volumetric productivity.

Conclusions:

• Enzymatic transesterification in microreactors is a highly productive method for biodiesel synthesis, particularly from waste oils.
• Microreactor technology significantly enhances mass transfer, boosting process efficiency.
• Further optimization of DES systems, especially water content, could improve enzymatic biodiesel production.