Mamoru Iso

Production of biodiesel fuel from triglycerides and alcohol using immobilized lipase

Transesterification reaction was performed using triglycerides and short-chain alcohol by immobilized lipase in non-aqueous conditions. The long-chain fatty acid ester, which is the product of this reaction, can be used as a diesel fuel that does not produce sulfur oxide and minimize the soot particulate. Immobilized Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase showed the highest activity in this reaction. Immobilization of lipase was carried out using porous kaolinite particle as a carrier. When methanol and ethanol were used as alcohol, organic solvent like 1,4-dioxane was required. The reaction could be performed in absence of solvent when 1-propanol and 1-butanol were used as short-chain alcohol. The activity of immobilized lipase was highly increased in comparison with free lipase because its activity sites became more effective. Immobilized enzyme could be repeatedly used without troublesome method of separation and the decrease in its activity was not largely observed.

Prediction of Fenton oxidation positions in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Frontier electron density.

Five recalcitrant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ethanol were subjected to Fenton oxidation, and following GC-MS identification of respective oxidation products, their oxidation positions were compared to those predicted by Frontier electron density. Quinone forms of oxidation products were identified in each PAH. With the exception of fluorene, oxidation positions of quinone forms of products of acenaphthylene, anthracene, benz(a)anthracene, and benzo(a)pyrene corresponded with predicted positions in which Frontier electron density was high. From these results, it appears that determining the Frontier electron density of a PAH is a promising method for predicting the Fenton oxidation position.

Application of Porous Microspheres Prepared by SPG (Shirasu Porous Glass) Emulsification as Immobilizing Carriers of Glucoamylase (GluA)

Fairly uniform spheres of crosslinked polystyrene (PS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), prepared by a particular emulsification process using SPG (Shirasu Porous Glass) membranes and subsequent suspension polymerization, were applied for immobilizing carriers of Glucoamylase (GluA). A mixture of monomers, solvents, and oil-soluble initiator was allowed to permeate through the micropores of SPG, suspended in an aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol), and polymerized while retaining the narrow size distribution during polymerization. A small amount of acrylic acid or glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was incorporated for the immobilization of GluA via covalent bonding. Although GluA has been regarded as being difficult to retain its activity after the immobilization process, a porous structure of the carriers definitely favored the immobilization, and a maximum 55% relative activity (RA) was obtained by the physical adsorption to PMMA spheres. The reaction of epoxide in GMA with 6-aminocaproic acid provided a spacer arm for the carboxyl group. An improvement of activity was expected by the incorporation of the spacer arms; however, barely noticeable activity was observed for PMMA carriers either by the physical adsorption or by the covalent bonding. A slight improvement was observed for PS carriers with spacers compared to the carriers without them. The diffusion process of oligosaccharides in the porous carriers seemed to retard the rate of hydrolysis in the case of largest carriers, 60 μm PS-DVB-AA spheres. The activity of immobilized GluA was retained during a long storage period of more than 150 days, some of them even increasing gradually, while the activity of native GluA dropped to zero after 100 days.

Immobilization of enzyme by microencapsulation and application of the encapsulated enzyme in the catalysis

Microencapsulation of lipase (Pseudomonas fluorescens) was carried out using (W/O)/W two-phase emulsion technique. Polystyrene (PS) and Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) were utilized as wall materials either separately or in mixture. A particular composition of 2:1 PS-SBR yielded homogeneous and tough wall structure, resilient to the impact and tight confinement of enzyme macromolecules. Performance of the encapsulated enzyme was evaluated employing the hydrolysis of triacetin (triglyceride of acetic acid) as a model substrate of the enzyme catalysis. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the behaviour of hydrolysis, which was derived under the assumption that the diffusion of small molecules (substrate and products) through the wall of microcapsules plays a dominant role to the reaction rate. Inhibition of the reaction by the decreasing pH due to the release of acetic acid was also taken into account. The calculated values agreed quite well with the observed data.

A fundamental study of the microencapsulation procedure utilizing coacervation in a polystyrene cyclohexane solution

Coacervation in polystyrene (PS)-cyclohexane solution induced by the lowering of temperature was utilized to investigate the fundamental problems involved in the microencapsulation procedure. Polydispersity of PS played a vital role in determining variables at the critical state of phase separation, such as the composition of coacervate (dense) and lean phases. This also depended on temperature. Observations revealed that microcapsules of glass beads consist of a wall with a thin film of PS covered with a thick shell of talc. Poor utilization of PS may limit practical applications of this system unless effective measures are taken for the recovery of unutilized PS. Controlled release behaviour from microcapsules was successfully investigated by using encapsulated anhydrous sodium sulphate (ASS) particles, and applying the Higuchi model to the estimation of the effective diffusion coefficient of ASS through the composite wall. The values of diffusion coefficient decreased from an order of 10(-7) to 10(-8) cm/s by lowering the encapsulation temperature.

Fabrication of an As2S8 stripe waveguide with an optical stopping effect by exposure to ultraviolet irradiation

Amorphous As2S8 chalcogenide glass is shown to undergo changes in the refractive index upon exposure to ultraviolet light. This phenomenon is employed to fabricate an As2S8 stripe waveguide, which is shown to be an effective guided mode device with a useful switching functionality based on the photo-optical effect.

Fabrication and propagation characterization of As2S8 chalcogenide channel waveguide made by UV irradiation annealing

Changes in the refractive index of amorphous chalcogenide As2S8 films upon ultraviolet (UV) exposure and annealing at different temperatures are investigated in detail, indicating an index contrast of the order of 10(-2) in the As2S8 channel waveguide. An As2S8 channel waveguide is fabricated using UV well irradiation and then annealing near the glass transition temperature and shows a low propagation loss of 0.76 dB/cm and good propagation characterization at the 1310 nm guided mode.

Microencapsulation of pheromone-analogue and measurement of the sustained release

A model study was conducted to establish 2 feasible production and application systems for the long-term, sustained release of pheromone into the atmosphere of targeted areas. The desired goal of effective release was set at least half a year. 2-Ethylhexyl acetate (EHA) was selected as a pheromone analogue due to its similar structure and easier access for quantitative analysis. At first EHA was impregnated in wax particles, which were then encapsulated employing the complex coacervation of a gelatin-gum arabic system. The release period of EHA through the gelatin wall, however, turned out to be too short--only a week at most. As a second attempt, a modification of the two-phase emulsion technique was employed to encapsulate multiple numbers of wax particles in hydrated networks of gelatin. Though the initial release rate of EHA was still too high, 60 per cent of encapsulated EHA underwent sustained release over six months after absorbed moisture had completely evaporated. A two-step mechanism of mass transfer was proposed and the related parameters in terms of the capacity coefficient and effective diffusion coefficient were estimated.

Application of encapsulated enzyme as a continuous packed-bed reactor

In the previous report, microencapsulation of lipase employing a (w/o)/w multiple phase emulsion technique, with 2:1 polystyrene (PS)-SBR mixture being used as a wall material, was proposed. Catalysis of the encapsulated enzyme was investigated, and the hydrolysis of triacetin (triglyceride of acetic acid) was successfully simulated by the reaction model based upon the Michaelis-Menten mechanism. Other factors affecting the mechanism such as the mass-transfer resistance of the substrate molecules through the wall and the decrease in pH due to the formation of acetic acid were also taken into consideration. In this report, the particular microcapsules were applied to the continuous tubular reactor system, essentially a packed column reactor, and longevity and mechanical strength of the microcapsules were fully demonstrated. The reaction model derived for a well-stirred batch reactor was also applicable to simulate the behaviour in the packed-column reactor as it was proved that there is no mass transfer resistance between the reactant stream and the surface of microcapsules. The observed data agreed quite well with the calculated values. Similarity of the behaviours of catalysis observed between two reactor systems was thoroughly confirmed. No leakage of the enzyme was detected after repeated usage over the duration of a few months, the temperature being maintained in the range between 293 and 323 K, and pH reset after each operation. Commercial feasibility of the microcapsules for the enzyme catalysis with substrates, small enough to permeate through the wall, was established by these fundamental investigations.

Surface modification of silica particles with polyimide by ultrasonic wave irradiation

Spherical silica particles were dispersed in a polyamic acid varnish (PAAV) solution, and ultrasonic wave irradiation resulted in high-speed condensation of conversion to polyimide and in coating of the silica particles. The imidization reaction was verified by Fourier transform IR analysis, thermogravimetry, gel-permeation chromatography and moisture analysis. In addition, the particle coating was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Adsorption of polyimide acid onto the surface of the silica particles while achieving an imidization reaction by ultrasonic wave irradiation has been clearly shown to enhance the rate of the imidization reaction.