Enzymatic production of methyl esters from low-cost feedstocks

Abstract The current level of air pollution, fossil fuel depletion, rising demand for fuels and rising cost, has been pressure the modern society to search clean fuels. An alternative is biodiesel, because vehicles with diesel engines can use it with little or no modification. However, the high cost of raw materials remains a challenge in to biodiesel production. Thus, the use of alternatives low-cost raw materials from industrial waste is a paramount, to reduce the process costs. In this context, the main objective of this work was the production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) using low cost raw material (soybean oil industry residue), with high free fatty acid content (FFA), through enzymatic route. The catalyst used was NS-40116 (Novozymes - Denmark). These analyses indicated that high FAME yields (96%) are achieved using 37 °C; 2 equivalents of methanol added in 6 shots and 3 wt%. In addition, using low-cost materials has several advantages, not competing with food products, requiring no land for cultivation and being eco-friendly. Summary, the enzymatic process is a promising alternative for biodiesel production, reducing its cost and benefiting sustainable development through the use of industrial waste.