ONLINE WATER REMOVAL DURING ENZYMATIC TRIACYLGLYCEROL SYNTHESIS BY MEANS OF PERVAPORATION

Triacylglycerols can be synthesized from glycerol and fatty acids. During this equilibrium reaction water is produced, therefore a mixture of mono-, di- and triesters is obtained. One way to produce an excess of triacylglycerols is to remove the water produced during synthesis. This can be realized in an immobilized enzyme pervaporation system. The enzyme is immobilized onto the lumen side of a cellulose membrane where the organic phase is present. Air circulates at the shell side and the water activity is controlled with the use of a condenser. The lipase catalyzed esterification of decanoic acid and partial glycerides is studied in this reactor. The system is reaction limited. Only at low water activity conditions, an excess of triacylglycerols is obtained. The enzyme activity at the start of the experiments is independent of the water activity within the range studied. Stability is influenced: After 600 hours the activity is 26% of the activity at the start at a(w) = 0. 1 and 71% at a(w) = 0.45.