Enzymatic synthesis of n-butyl oleate in a hollow fiber membrane reactor

A new type of semi-batch membrane reactor has been developed for the synthesis of short chain alcohol fatty acid esters. The synthesis of n-butyl oleate was carried out in the reactor at a temperature of 30°C. The reaction was catalyzed by Mucor miehei lipase, which was immobilized on the membrane walls in the form of macroscopically thick ultrafiltration cake. The ester remained in the bulk phase; water, as a second product, was separated from the oil phase by diffusion through the membrane walls. At the optimal reaction mixture, with molar fraction of oleic acid of 0.55, a conversion of 88.11% was reached in a relatively short time.