Maja Habulin and Željko Knez
Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
 

ABSTRACT

For the investigation of the solvent impact on the enzymes, lipases from the different sources (Pseudomonas fluorescences, Rhizpous javanicus, Rhizopus niveus, Candida rugosa and Porcine pancreas) were used. Stability and activity of these lipases in aqueous medium in supercritical CO2 and liquid propane at 100 bar and 40 °C were studied.
On the basis of previous results lipases were used for their application in two different systems. The application of the polysulphone membrane in the continuous stirred tank membrane reactor was studied on the model system of the hydrolysis of oleyl oleate in propane at high pressure. As a catalyst the Candida rugosa lipase was used. The next utilization of lipases was the use of on silica aerogel self-immobilized lipase from Porcine pancreas as catalyst for esterification reaction in near-critical propane at 40 °C and 100 bar.