Effects of Water on Rhizopus Oryzae Whole Cell-Catalyzed Transesterification of Bean Oil for Biodiesel Production

Effects of water on Rhizopus oryzae whole cell-catalyzed transesterification of bean oil for biodiesel production^*

Gilda Naka^a, Qiyang He^b

 

^aREU program, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Normal, AL, USA

^bDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

 

11 July 2013

*All documentation and findings are property of Alabama A&M University, Nanjing Forestry University, and the authors listed above.

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Abstract

 

      Biodiesel produced by the methanolysis of plant oils has received a lot of research attention due to its potential as a renewable and environmentally-friendly energy resource. The use of a whole-cell biocatalyst eliminates the need for purification that is necessary for most modern industrial processes and appears to be a more efficient and promising technique in the process of producing biofuel through the transesterfication of triglycerides. The effect of water on biodiesel production was investigated with the use of bean oil and Rhizopus oryzae whole cell with polyurethane foaming plastic as a whole-cell biocatalyst.  The optimal water content was found to be 10% after 60 hours. The results presented could be beneficial for developing an efficient and cost-effective biodiesel production technique.