Abstract
For the first time, the rotating packed bed (RPB) was implemented in biocatalytic hydrolysis reactions. The high intensification process enhanced the micromixing of the substrate and lipase, which was provided by the RPB centrifugal force. The high gravity factor (β), the key factor for the mass-transfer in RPB, was investigated in the soybean oil hydrolysis reaction. In order to identify the application of the reactor, three other species of oils were also applied in the RPB hydrolysis system, under the optimal β value. The hydrolysis yields of these four oils in RPB were 15%–25% higher than the yield obtained in a traditional continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), and the reaction time was shortened by 30%–50%, which meant that the RPB reactor was applicable for oil hydrolysis and superior to the CSTR system.
