CERENA Seminar: Evaluation of enzyme-catalyzed routes to produce biodiesel by Dr. Thalles Allan Andrade

On 3^rd April, at 14h00, the seminar entitled “Evaluation of enzyme-catalyzed routes to produce biodiesel” will be held by Dr. Thalles Allan Andrade, University of Southern Denmark.

Abstract

Biodiesel production is a field of continuous interest in the energy production sector, as an alternative renewable fuel to replace the use of fossil fuels. Enzyme-catalyzed transesterification is an alternative to overcome the drawbacks associated with the use of chemicals to catalyze the transesterification reaction for the production of biodiesel. Processes catalyzed by enzymes are less energy-intensive and more environmentally friendly, assuring higher compatibility with different raw materials and better product separation. The biggest drawback for the use of enzymes is their high cost. In order to be economically competitive, enzyme-catalyzed routes need to be optimized. Commercially available in liquid or immobilized forms, liquid enzymes are a cheaper alternative to the immobilized ones. An alternative to reduce the operating costs and prevent wastes is to reuse the enzymes. However, reuse of liquid enzymes is limited by the difficulty of separating them from the reaction medium. Ultrafiltration by ceramic membranes is a novel alternative to their recovery eliminating substances that inhibits the enzymes thus improving the efficiency of the enzyme reuse. 

Thalles Allan Andrade is a Postdoc at the University of Southern Denmark. In 2012, he graduated at the University of Campinas, Brazil, with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. In 2011, he worked as a Process Engineering Intern for one year at Borealis Brasil S.A. Thalles completed the M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Campinas in 2014. The master thesis was titled “Optimization of Refrigeration Cycles for the production of Liquefied Natural Gas”. In 2018, Thalles obtained a PhD degree in Engineering Science at the University of Southern Denmark, where he wrote a dissertation titled “Energy-efficient Conversion of Castor Oil for Biodiesel Production.” During his PhD, Thalles also worked in collaboration with the University of Salamanca, Spain. Thalles has published manuscripts in scientific journals such as Bioresource Technology, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, and Chemical Engineering Research and Design.