This book explores a novel technique for processing biodiesel using lipase immobilization by
encapsulation and its physical properties stability characteristics and application in
stirred tank and re-circulated packed bed immobilized reactors for biodiesel production. The
enzymatic processing of biodiesel addresses many of the problems associated with chemical
processing. It requires only moderate operating conditions and yields a high-quality product
with a high level of conversion and the life cycle assessment of enzymatic biodiesel production
has more favourable environmental consequences. The chemical processing problems of waste water
treatment are lessened and soap formation is not an issue meaning that waste oil with higher
FFA can be used as the feedstock. The by product glycerol does not require any purification and
it can be sold at higher price. However soluble enzymatic processing is not perfect. It is
costly the enzyme cannot be recycled and its removal from the product is difficult. For these
reasons immobilized enzymatic process has been developed which retains the advantages of the
soluble enzymatic process and reuse of the enzyme is possible which decreases the enzyme cost
the biodiesel produced does not contain any enzyme residue and the activity of the enzyme can
be increased by immobilization. The drawbacks of the immobilized enzyme process are mass
transfer limitation enzyme leakage the lack of a versatile commercial immobilized enzyme and
some of immobilization methods involve toxic chemicals. To overcome the drawbacks of the
immobilized enzyme an attempt is made to use a degradable biopolymer ( -carrageenan) as a
carrier for lipase immobilization.
