The thermal stability and the energy of deactivation of free invertase and the immobilized enzyme (IE) was measured at temperatures in the range of 35 to 65°C for the hydrolysis of a 5% w/v sucrose solution. The free enzyme at pH 5.0 is stable up to 50°C for a period of 4 h. Invertase immobilized in controlled pore silica by the silane-glutaraldehyde covalent method is stable up to 55ºC, in pH 4.5 for the same period. For higher temperatures the enzyme deactivation follows the exponential decay model and half-lives are 0.53, 1.80, and 13.9 h for free invertase, at 65, 60, and 55ºC, respectively. For the IE half-lives are 0.48, 1.83, and 20.9 h, at 65, 60, and 55ºC, respectively. The IE is more stable than the free invertase; the energy of deactivation being 83.1 kcal/mol for the IE and 72.0 kcal/mol for the free enzyme.

Invertase from NOVO Nordisk has been immobilized in controlled pore silica particles (diameter: 0.351 mm and mean pore size: 37.5 nm) by covalent binding with the silane-glutaraldehyde method. The activity of the free and immobilized enzyme (IE) was determined with 5% (w/v) sucrose, at 35 to 65ºC and pH from 3 to 7. Maximum activities were found in the pH range from 5 to 6 for free invertase, and pH 4.5 for the IE. Activity yield for the IE was 24%. The Energy of Activation (Ea) was found to be a function of pH, giving for free invertase, Ea = 7.0 and 6.86 kcal/mol at pH 5.0 and 5.5, respectively, whereas for the immobilized enzyme, Ea = 6.55 and 5.93 kcal/mol at pH 4.5 and 5.0, respectively.