f Goudarzi - Department of Chemical Engineering, AmirKabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
m Hajar - Department of Chemical Engineering, AmirKabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
a Arab Markadeh - Department of Chemical Engineering, AmirKabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
s Shokrollahzadeh - Department of Chemical Technologies, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran,Iran

The use of Rhizopus oryzae immobilized on Kissiris as a biocatalyst for ester synthesis has been studied. Immobilization of R. oryzae cells within biomass support particles enhanced intracellular lipase activity and could be used directly as whole cell biocatalyst in transesterification reaction. In this study, the methanolysis of canola oil catalyzed by Kissiris immobilized R. oryzae was performed in solvent-free media. The influences of several reaction parameters on methyl ester yield such as water content, molar ratio of methanol to canola oil, and substrate to catalyst ratio were studied. The maximum methyl ester yield of 90.9% was obtained at optimum conditions

Biodiesel, Canola oil, Cell immobilization, Rhizopus oryzae, Kissiris