A*Star’s enzyme tech can convert unrefined vegetable oils to Biodiesel

After degrading fats into fatty acids, they can be reacted with methanol to produce Biodiesel. If enzymes are used for this reaction, they are usually destroyed by methanol but A*star’s Chemical and Engineering Sciences Department found a way to keep the enzyme separate from the methanol during the reaction. This means that using their method, enzymes can be used to speed up the reaction and increase the yield. The main benefit of this technique, however, is that it will work on vegetable oils that have not been purified and refined; allowing the production process to be simplified and made cheaper to run. Researchers at A*Star are continuing to develop this technology for industrial production.