skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Development of immobilized cellulase

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5246541

The immobilization of cellulase from the fungus Trichoderma reesei on the surface of calcium alginate gel spheres was investigated. The immobilized cellulase catalyzed the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose. The linking agents, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and glutaraldehyde, decreased free-enzyme activity by 95%, and the maximum observed retention of cellulase activity after immobilization was 2%. Leakage of enzyme from the support was observed. A fivefold increase in glucose production was seen after the addition of ..beta..-glucosidase-impregnated spheres to the cellulase spheres, suggesting that cellobiose may be accumulating during the reaction. A simple economic analysis suggested that the immobilized-enzyme activity per unit volume might have to be increased by a factor of fifty to become competitive with the free-enzyme process.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Oak Ridge, TN (USA). School of Chemical Engineering Practice
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
5246541
Report Number(s):
ORNL/MIT-346; ON: DE82019896
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English