Cell disruption technologies

Abstract In this chapter, cell disruption techniques are reviewed as a function of the (future) industrial algae biorefinery. A variety of techniques and recent developments are discussed based on their effectiveness, product quality, and cost efficiency. Effectiveness (i.e, disruption efficiency in function of energy and time) unfortunately is often countered by poor product quality, and currently used industrial methods are generally energy intensive. Recent developments might tackle these issues and enhance the economics. Chemical techniques are often effective but can lead to impurities in the final product, which can be avoided by immobilizing chemical agents. Alternatively, several pressurized methods are promising because of high product quality and relatively low energy consumption. The latter can even be decreased significantly based on recent advances, which also counts for well-established techniques undergoing process optimization. The field, however, remains challenging to increase effectiveness and product quality to decrease downstream process steps and overall costs.