Lipase-catalyzed transesterification to remove saturated MAG from biodiesel

Abstract

Saturated MAG (SMG) are known to be present in FAME intended to be used as biodiesel. These SMG can strongly affect the properties of biofuels such as the cloud point (CP), and they have been implicated in engine failure due to filter plugging. It is shown here that lipase G from Penicillium camemberti can be efficiently used for the transesterification of SMG to fatty acid methyl ester and glycerol even in the presence of the bulk biodiesel. Thus, in samples of commercial biodiesel to which glycerol monostearate (GMS) and glycerol monopalmitate (GMP) had been added, their levels were enzymatically reduced from 2% (w/v) to 0.22% (w/v) for GMP and 0.14% (w/v) for GMS as confirmed by GC-MS analysis. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.