Abstract This study conducted an assessment of polyurethane foams that were synthesized by one-shot process and used as a low-cost support to immobilize Mucor circinelloides URM 4182 whole-cells presenting high lipolytic activity. Polyols with different molecular weights (1100 to 6000 g mol-1) were applied to synthesize the polymer matrix, and the agitation speed effect was used for controlling the average pore size of the investigated polyurethane foams. The physical and mechanical properties of the polymers were evaluated by standard test methods, and their morphology was identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The immobilization procedure efficiency was assessed by quantifying the capability of the matrices to attach the cells and the catalytic activity of the biocatalysts in both aqueous (olive oil hydrolysis) and non-aqueous media (ethanolysis of babassu oil) under single and consecutive batch runs. Although all synthesized matrices were suitable to immobilize the whole cells with high catalytic performance, a better set of parameters was attained when the polyol ether with molecular weight of 6000 g mol-1 and 1100 g mol-1 was used. Both matrices yielded immobilized biocatalysts with high hydrolysis and transesterification activities, and exhibited a satisfactory operational stability with 96% and 81% retention of their initial hydrolytic and transesterification activities after three consecutive batch runs.

This work reports the use of commercially available immobilized lipase preparations (Novozym® 435 and Lipozyme TL IM, both from Novozymes, and Lipase PS IM from Amano) as catalysts in the transesterification reaction of different alkyl-chain triglycerides with ethanol. The ethanolysis of native oils from Brazilian Amazon plants andiroba (Carapa guianensis), babassu (Orbignya sp.), jatropa (Jatropha curcas), and palm (Elaeis sp.) was studied in a solvent-free system. In a typical reaction, the immobilized preparations were added to the mixture of vegetable oil-to-ethanol in a molar ratio of 1:9. The reactions were performed at 50 ºC for a maximum period of 48 h. Under the conditions used, all the immobilized lipase preparations were able to generate the main esters of fatty acids present in the tested feedstocks, and both the reaction rate and ester yield were dependent on the source of lipase and vegetable oil. The viscosity values for the samples obtained in each reaction displayed a consistent reduction in relation to their original feedstocks, which also confirms the high conversion of triglycerides to ethyl esters (99.8-74.0%). The best performances were obtained with Amano PS IM and Novozym® 435, with the biodiesel samples from the babassu and jatropha oils exhibiting viscosity values in accordance with those predicted by the technical standards of ASTM D6751 (1.9-6.0 mm²/s). Lipozyme TL IM displayed an unsatisfactory performance, indicating that the conditions of the transesterification reaction should be improved. This comparative study using different catalysts and several vegetable oil sources with varying fatty acid compositions is particularly important for all tropical countries with a diversity of native vegetable oil sources.

Two microbial lipases from Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas fluorescens were evaluated as catalysts for the enzymatic transesterification of beef tallow with ethanol and the most efficient lipase source was selected by taking into account the properties of the product to be used as fuel. Both lipases were immobilized on an epoxy silica-polyvinyl alcohol composite by covalent immobilization and used to perform the reactions under the following operational conditions: beef tallow-to-ethanol molar ratio of 1:9, 45ºC and 400 units of enzymatic activity per gram of fat. Products, characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), viscosimetry, thermogravimetry and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, suggested that the biodiesel sample obtained in the reaction catalyzed by Burkholderia cepacia lipase has the best set of properties for fuel usage.