Use of Microalgae for the production of biofuels

Abstract

The prevailing examine given an integrated manner for the goods effected of biodiesel from microalgal oil. Heterotrophic expansion of Chlorella protothecoides effected in the accumulation of high lipid content (55%) in cells. Large allotment of microalgal oil was expeditiously obtained from these heterotrophic cubicles by employing n-hexane. Biodiesel competent to recognised diesel was received from heterotrophic microalgal oil by acidic transesterification. The best process aggregation was 100% catalyst measure (based on oil weight) with 56:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil at coldness of 30 °C, which lessened wares precise significance from an first worth of 0.912 to a terminal worth of 0.8637 in come seal 4 h of counter time. The effects planed that the novel process, which aggregated bioengineering and transesterification, was a feasible and effectual manner for the goods effected of high worth biodiesel from microalgal oil.

 

Use of Microalgae for the goods effected of biofuels

Introduction

Fatty corrosive methyl esters deriving from from vegetable oils and living organism fats are famous as biodiesel. Biodiesel fuel has accepted ample alertness in fresh years, as it is a biodegradable, renewable and non-toxic fuel. It augments no lure carbon dioxide or sulfur to the sky and emits smaller diagram gaseous pollutants than regular diesel (Lang et al., 2001, Antolin et al., 2002 and Vicente et al., 2004). There are four main ways to generate biodiesel, lead exercise and merging, microemulsions, thermal contravening (pyrolysis) and transesterification (Ma and Hanna, 1999). The bulk universal way is transesterification as the biodiesel from transesterification can be employed right away or as merges with diesel fuel in diesel motor (Peterson et al., 1991 and Zhang et al., 2003). Biodiesel, mostly rapeseed methyl ester, has been in economic exercise as an other option fuel since 1988 in more European nations (Lang et al., 2001). However, in spite of the favourable consequence that its commercialization could give, the economic characteristic of biodiesel goods effected ceases its expansion and very many exercise, substantially due to the high feed charge of vegetable oil (Antolin et al., 2002 and Lang et al., 2001). Biodiesel commonly assignments through US$0.5/l, weighed against to US$0.35/l for regular diesel (Zhang et al., 2003).

 

Methods

Microalgae and test preparation

The impairment of C. protothecoides was gave by the Culture Collection of Algae at the University of Texas (Austin, Texas, USA). The social average and manner were as delineated in the past (Wu et al., 1992). The alga was created autotrophically and axenically in batch social below 26 °C (±1) with ceaseless illumination at intensities of 40 µmol m-2 s-1. Aeration was gave by bulging sky at standard pressure. For the heterotrophic expansion of C. protothecoides, 10 g/l glucose was adjoined to the basal average and the glycine was lessened to 0.1 g/l. The particulars of the social of heterotrophic cubicles were stated in our earlier examine (Wu et al., 1994). The molecular burden of the oil was calculated from saponification and corrosive value. The midpoint molecular burden of the oil was 933.

 

Reaction conditions

Preliminary tests showed that the minimal catalyst (alkali catalyst) was ...