Reúso de residuos líquidos generados en la licuefacción hidrotérmica de microalgas provenientes de la industria cementera.

This study shows the effect of reintegrating the aqueous phase to the hydrothermal liquefaction process of microalgae to obtain biocrude. The company Cementos Argos has developed CO2 capture processes through microalgae farming to mitigate the environmental impact of the cement industry. Microalgae are transformed into biocrude through hydrothermal liquefaction processes that use a large amount of water, generating liquid discharges. The results show that it is possible to recirculate these residues into the process and increase biocrude yield. It is shown that when the aqueous phase reaches a high content of dissolved organic material (COD > 1,200,000 mg O2/l), part of this material is transformed into biocrude, increasing its yield to about 10-15%. It is concluded that there are no liquid discharges in this process, favoring its viability and its potential for producing higher value-added fuels such as diesel and gasoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]