Kinetics Study of Palm Oil Hydrolysis Using Immobilized Lipase Candida Rugosa in Packed Bed Reactor

Abstract

Continuous hydrolysis of palm oil triglyceride in organic solvent using immobilized Candida rugosa on the Amberlite MB-1 as a source of immobilized lipase was studied in packed bed reactor. The enzymatic kinetics of hydrolysis reaction was studied by changing the substrate concentration, reaction temperature and residence time(®) in the reactor. At 55 °C, the optimum water concentration was found to be 15 %weight per volume of solution (%w/v). The Michaelis-Menten kinetic model was used to obtain the reaction parameters, K_m(app) and V_max(app). The activation energies were found to be quite low indicating that the lipase-catalyzed process is controlled by diffusion of substrates. The Michaelis-Menten kinetic model was found to be suitable at low water concentration 10-15 %w/v of solution. At higher water concentration, substrate inhibition model was used for data analysis. Reactor operation was found to play an important role in the palm oil hydrolysis kinetic.

Key Words:

• Palm Oil Hydrolysis
• Kinetics Model
• Amberlite MB-1
• Packed Bed Reactor
• Lipase

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Choo Seng Min

Joyce Laing works in the Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, Playfield House, Cupar, Fife, and is a Consultant Art Therapist to Psychiatric Hospitals and Prisons and Chairwoman of the Scottish Society of Art and Psychology.