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US 12,529,080 B2Granted
Fatty acid esterification process
AssigneeNovozymes A/S
InventorsPer Munk Nielsen, Anders Rancke-Madsen, Rasmus Boeg Hansen
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process for enzymatic esterification of free fatty acids. In particular the invention relates to this process using a flash operation for water removal from enzyme reaction mixture.
Claims17
A process for enzymatic esterification of free fatty acids, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a composition comprising free fatty acids i),
- b. adding to the composition provided in step a.:
- ii) esterase,
- iii) glycerol, and
- iv) short chain alcohol selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol;
- and mixing
- c. incubating the mixture of step b. such that the esterase catalyses esterification of free fatty acids, and
- d. flash drying the incubated mixture resulting from step c., wherein flash drying is performed at a temperature in the range of from 40 to 75° C., and at a pressure less than 250 mbar;
- and wherein the esterase retains at least 40% of its activity.
6 more elements
A process for flash drying of a mixture comprising free fatty acids, said mixture comprising FAME, free fatty acids, esterase, glycerol, short chain alcohol selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol;
- and water;
- and said process comprising the steps of providing said mixture and subsequently flash drying said mixture, wherein the flash drying is performed at a temperature in the range of from 40 to 75° C., and at a pressure less than 250 mbar, and wherein the esterase retains at least 40% of its activity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.