Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Market Quality and Handling Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #293346
Title: Producing biodiesel from cotton seed oil using Rhizopus oryzae ATTC #34612 whole cell biocatalysts: Culture media and cultivation period optimization

Author
item ATHALYE, SNEHA - North Carolina State University
item SHARMA-SHIVAPPA, RATNA - North Carolina State University
item PERETTI, STEVEN - North Carolina State University
item KOLAR, PRAVEEN - North Carolina State University
item Davis, Jack

Submitted to: Energy for Sustainable Development
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/28/2013
Publication Date: 4/27/2013
Citation: Athalye, S., Sharma-Shivappa, R., Peretti, S., Kolar, P., Davis, J.P. 2013. Producing biodiesel from cotton seed oil using Rhizopus oryzae ATTC #34612 whole cell biocatalysts: Culture media and cultivation period optimization. Energy for Sustainable Development. 17:331-336.

Interpretive Summary: The rising price and uncertain supply of petroleum fuels have spurred efforts to develop alternative fuels, including biodiesel. While biodiesel is proving to be a competitive alternative to petroleum based diesel, the relatively high costs of traditional biodiesel produced via alkaline hydrolysis, coupled with the need for copious amounts of water during its processing, are impediments to more widespread dissemination of biodiesel. The current manuscript describes a novel, whole cell catalyst system for producing biodiesel from cottonseed oil that drastically reduces water consumption compared to traditional biodiesel production. While current yields with this novel system are low compared to traditional biodiesel production, further work with this novel catalyst could provide a technology for producing biodiesel more economically and with substantially less water.

Technical Abstract: The effect of culture medium composition and cultivation time on biodiesel production by Rhizopus oryzae ATCC #34612 whole cell catalysts, immobilized on novel rigid polyethylene biomass supports, was investigated. Supplementation of the medium with carbon sources led to higher lipase activity and increased the biomass immobilized on the BSPs. Statistical analysis indicates that a cultivation period of 72 h in a basal medium supplemented with both cottonseed oil and glucose is optimal for biodiesel production by R. oryzae, resulting in a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield of 27.9 wt. % (228.2 g/L).