Bioenergetics: Open Access

Abstract

Production of Biofuels by Micro-, Lab-, Pilot- and Industrial Scale Based Biocatalytic Processes

Bruno Zelic

The need for the production of biofuels from various renewable sources is becoming increasingly interesting especially as the availability and accessibility of fossil fuels is significantly declining. Biodegradability, low pollution emissions and non-toxicity and bioethanol more environmentally friendly fuels. Solid-state materials, which makes it also economically feasible. So far, this technology was used for production of enzymes, organic acids, mushrooms, flavour and aroma compounds, pigments, polysaccharides, hormones, human food and animal feed. Different type of bioreactors have been developed and successfully used for solid-state fermentation of broad range of substrates and in production of value-added products. Solid-state fermentation will be demonstrated as part of anaerobic degradation on lab-, pilot- and grain, whey and cow manure, and corn silage and cow manure, in intensification of the biodiesel production process is widely studied. However, previous studies of the application of microthe use of chemical catalysts. Mild reaction conditions, absence of by-products, reusability, simple separation and purification of the resulting biodiesel, as well as lower energy consumption, are some
of the many advantages that make the enzyme lipase – a biocatalyst – a better choice than traditional chemical catalysts in the process of biodiesel production. Different microreactor systems utilising a commercially available lipase and a lipase produced by solid-state fermentation were used for transesterification of fresh and waste cooking oil while biodiesel was separated using integrated micro separation unit. Selected examples are clear demonstration of environmentally friendly and economic technologies used for efficient production of biofuels on micro-, lab-, pilot- and industrial scale.

Published Date: 2020-11-26; Received Date: 2020-11-11