Application of pseudo-two phase partitioning bioreactor (P-TPPB) to the production of biodiesel.

Pseudo-two phase partitioning bioreactor (P-TPPB) was newly proposed as an extension of the application of TPPB to bioprocesses in which hydrophilic substrates and/or products are involved. The feasibility of P-TPPB was demonstrated in enzymatic biodiesel production, where methanol completely inhibits the enzymes. Unlike conventional TPPB, the P-TPPB comprises a hydrophobic first phase (soybean oil) and hydrophilic second phase. n-Pentanol was found to be the optimum for the second phase, since P-TPPB containing n-pentanol showed the greatest total biodiesel conversion and highest fatty acid methyl ester content. The enzyme was repeatedly used to produce biodiesel in P-TPPB, while maintaining its activity at over 95% relative to that of the intact enzyme.