Improvement in lipase-catalyzed synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters from sunflower oil

Biodiesel as alkyl esters derived from vegetable oils has considerable advantages in terms of environmental protection. In the present work, methyl esters were produced from sunflower oil by lipase-catalyzed reactions. The effect of organic solvent on alcoholysis rate was investigated and highest conversion (80%) was found in n-hexane and petroleum ether. Among several microbial lipases tested for alcoholysis activity in a solvent-free system, the best conversion (>90%) was found with lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (Amano AK) at the highest molar equivalent of oil:methanol (1:4.5). To reduce inactivation of commercial immobilized lipases by methanol, a three-step protocol consisting of the stepwise addition of 1 M equivalent of methanol at 5 h intervals, was developed. Also with immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme RM IM) high conversion (>80%) was possible. Moreover, the transesterification could be conducted for at least 120 h during five batch runs without significant loss of activity.