Process for the enzymatic cleavage of oils and fats

摘要

Process (I) for the enzymatic hydrolysis of oils and fats to produce fatty acids and glycerol by contacting a mixture of the oil or fat and water with lipase biocatalyst comprises: (a) carrying out the hydrolysis reaction until the reaction rate falls below a preset value; (b) separating the aqueous glycerol phase; (c) separating the fatty acids from the organic phase; and (d) recycling the rest of the organic phase. Independent claims are also included for: (1) a process (II) for the enzymatic hydrolysis of oils and fats to produce fatty acids and glycerol by contacting a mixture of the oil or fat and water with a lipase biocatalyst, comprising: (a) separating the hydrolysis reaction mixture into an aqueous glycerol phase and an organic phase in a self-discharging separator operated so that a lipase-enriched layer collects between the aqueous and organic phases in the plate stack of the separator; (b) emptying the separator at preset times; and (c) recycling the discharged contents of the separator drum; and (2) a process (III) for the enzymatic hydrolysis of oils and fats to produce fatty acids and glycerol by contacting a mixture of the oil or fat and water with a lipase biocatalyst, comprising carrying out the hydrolysis discontinuously in multiple parallel reactors operating in a loop system, with pumped recirculation of the reactor contents so that one reactor is being filled with oil or fat while another is in hydrolysis service, and another is being emptied into a separator which separated the aqueous glycerol phase from the organic phase before the fatty acids are separated from the organic phase.