Conference article

Biodiesel fuel (fatty acid methyl esters; FAMEs) can be produced by methanolysis of waste edible oil with a whole cell biocatalyst which is an attractive alternative to fossil fuel because it is produced from renewable resources. Utilizing whole cell biocatalyst instead of free or immobilized enzyme is a potential approach to reduce the cost of catalyst in lipase-catalyzed biodiesel production. Rhizopus oryzae (R. oryzae) PTCC 5174 cells were cultured with polyurethane foam biomass support particles (BSPs) and the cells immobilized within BSPs were used for the methanolysis of pretreated used cooking oil (UCO) for biodiesel production in this research. UCO is the residue from the kitchen; restaurant and food industries which promotes environmental pollution and human health risks. The inhibitory effect of undissolved methanol on lipase activity was eliminated by stepwise addition of methanol to the reaction mixture. The optimum conditions for the reaction were as follows: 50 BSPs; molar ratio of methanol to UCO 3:1; 15.54% (wt) water (in the form of buffer phosphate with pH= 6.8) based on UCO weight and temperature 35°C in three-step addition of methanol. The maximum methyl ester yield of 98.4% was obtained after 72 h of reaction in a shaken Erlenmeyer at mentioned conditions.

Biodiesel; Whole-cell biocatalyst; Methanolysis; Pretreated UCO