Reaction kinetics involved in esterification between the fatty acids in castor oil and furfuryl alcohol

Kinetics of esterification reaction between furfuryl alcohol (FA) and castor oil fatty acid (COFA) using immobilized Candida antartica lipase B in a solvent free system is investigated in present study. The well-known ping-pong bi bi mechanism with two-substrate inhibition has been confirmed to correctly describe the governing reaction pathway. Subsequently, the rate equation was used to evaluate pertinent kinetic parameters. Parametric optimization study was also carried out with respect to temperature, molar ratio of reactants and enzyme loading to maximize the equilibrium yield of COFA ester. Furthermore, functional variations of the kinetic parameters, which include Michaelis-Menten constants and inhibition coefficients, were evaluated with respect to three process parameters. Corresponding inferences are of high utility, specifically, in cases where the global optimum is beyond the scope of the existing production facility in any industrial platform.