External Mass Transfer Effects during the Hydrolysis of Rice Bran Oil in Immobilized Lipase Packed Bed Reactor

V. R. C. Murty, J. Bhat and P. K. A. Muniswaran

Abstract
External mass transfer effects were studied in immobilized lipase packed bed reactor during the hydrolysis of rice bran oil. Global mass transfer coefficients were estimated at different fluid flow rates and feed substrate concentrations. A relation between global mass transfer coefficient and superficial velocity was established at given feed substrate concentration. The reaction data were represented in dimensionless Eadie-Hofstee plot, which indicated the extent of film diffusion in packed bed reactor. Film effectiveness factor was calculated experimentally in the packed bed reactor and compared with the theoretically predicted values. Very good agreement was observed between computer simulation using plug flow model with derived mass transfer correlation and the experimental results obtained from immobilized lipase packed bed reactor operation.

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Keywords
External mass transfer effects, effectiveness factor, global mass transfer coefficients, immobilized lipase, packed bed reactor and rice bran oil