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Roles of Co-solvents in hydrothermal liquefaction of low-lipid, high-protein algae

Authors :
Catherine E. Brewer
Feng Cheng
Zheng Cui
Jacqueline M. Jarvis
Umakanta Jena
Source :
Bioresource Technology. 310:123454
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2020.

Abstract

Valorization of algal biomass is often limited by its low lipid content. Here, different alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol, and glycerol, were studied as co-solvents to improve the conversion efficiency of a lipid-poor microalgae, Galdieria sulphuraria, by hydrothermal liquefaction. Bio-crude oil yield increases, from 13 to 73 wt% (on dry algae basis), were attributed to the alcohols facilitating the transfer of algal protein-derived fragments from the aqueous phase into the oil phase. A series of characterization results showed that bio-crude oil formation was mainly the result of alcohols reacting with algal fragments via Maillard reactions, alkylation, and esterification, respectively. Insights into the synergistic effect of low-lipid feed and alcohol provide mechanistic support for choosing an alcohol-rich waste, crude glycerol, to improve bio-crude oil production from HTL of wastewater-grown G. sulphuraria. Promising improvements in yield and energy recovery indicates competitive economics for a low-lipid biomass waste-to-biofuel conversion technique.

Details

ISSN :
09608524
Volume :
310
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Bioresource Technology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....d763c1a0c45a2887300b7114527724bc
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123454