EnzymoCore’s major technology breakthrough is the development of modified-immobilized enzymes, characterized with their high resistance to methanol. Thus, these enzymes can be used for the production of biodiesel at commercial scales using any type of feedstock (FFAs 0-100%).

This breakthrough is based on EnzymoCore’s technology platform, consisting of two elements:

  • Modification and adaptation of enzymes (lipases) for use in solvent-free systems
  • Immobilization of modified enzymes for industrial applications, which is achieved by covalent binding of the enzymes to specific carriers

EnzymoCore’s technology overcomes the major drawbacks of enzyme-based catalysts in biodiesel production:

  • Irreversible deactivation of the enzymes
  • High cost of the enzymes
  • Avoiding the use of solvent to enhance the contact between oil and methanol

The methanol-resistant modified immobilized enzymes developed by EnzymoCore can be used in multiple batch and continuous processes; they are highly active in solvent-free systems, tolerate the use of low-grade and cheap feedstocks of high contents of FFAs and polar lipids (phospholipids and glycolipids).

 

One of the major advantages of EnzymoCore’s biocatalysts is their capability of catalyzing the esterification and transesterification reactions simultaneously, which allows them to be used for the production of biodiesel from high free fatty acids feedstocks (FFAs 0-100%).