Biodiesel from mixed culture algae via a wet lipid extraction procedure.

Microalgae are a source of renewable oil for liquid fuels. However, costs for dewatering/drying, extraction, and processing have limited commercial scale production of biodiesel from algal biomass. A wet lipid extraction procedure was developed that was capable of extracting 79% of transesterifiable lipids from wet algal biomass (84% moisture) via acid and base hydrolysis (90 °C and ambient pressures), and 76% of those extracted lipids were isolated, by further processing, and converted to FAMEs. Furthermore, the procedure was capable of removing chlorophyll contamination of the algal lipid extract through precipitation. In addition, the procedure generated side streams that serve as feedstocks for microbial conversion to additional bioproducts. The capability of the procedure to extract lipids from wet algal biomass, to reduce/remove chlorophyll contamination, to potentially reduce organic solvent demand, and to generate feedstocks for high-value bioproducts presents opportunities to reduce costs of scaling up algal lipid extraction for biodiesel production.

[1]  C. Carrington,et al.  Variables affecting the in situ transesterification of microalgae lipids , 2010 .

[2]  Yangmin Gong,et al.  Biodiesel production with microalgae as feedstock: from strains to biodiesel , 2011, Biotechnology Letters.

[3]  R. Sims,et al.  Production and harvesting of microalgae for wastewater treatment, biofuels, and bioproducts. , 2011, Biotechnology advances.

[4]  S. Harrison,et al.  Selection of Direct Transesterification as the Preferred Method for Assay of Fatty Acid Content of Microalgae , 2010, Lipids.

[5]  Teresa M. Mata,et al.  Microalgae for biodiesel production and other applications: A review , 2010 .

[6]  C. Lan,et al.  Effects of nitrogen sources on cell growth and lipid accumulation of green alga Neochloris oleoabundans , 2008, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[7]  Y. Chisti.  Biodiesel from microalgae. , 2007, Biotechnology advances.

[8]  Arnaud Hélias,et al.  Life-cycle assessment of biodiesel production from microalgae. , 2009, Environmental science & technology.

[9]  C. Posten,et al.  Second Generation Biofuels: High-Efficiency Microalgae for Biodiesel Production , 2008, BioEnergy Research.

[10]  M. Demirbas,et al.  IMPORTANCE OF ALGAE OIL AS A SOURCE OF BIODIESEL , 2011 .

[11]  E. Griffiths.  Removal and Utilization of Wastewater Nutrients for Algae Biomass and Biofuels , 2009 .

[12]  John Ferrell,et al.  National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap , 2010 .

[13]  Márcia M. Silva,et al.  Determination of Calcium and Magnesium in Biodiesel by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Using Microemulsions as Sample Preparation , 2010 .

[14]  C. D. Miller,et al.  Acetone, butanol, and ethanol production from wastewater algae. , 2012, Bioresource technology.

[15]  B. Moser.  Biodiesel production, properties, and feedstocks , 2009, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant.

[16]  Y. Chisti,et al.  Recovery of microalgal biomass and metabolites: process options and economics. , 2003, Biotechnology advances.

[17]  Michael K Danquah,et al.  Oil extraction from microalgae for biodiesel production. , 2011, Bioresource technology.