TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimization of direct conversion of wet algae to biodiesel under supercritical methanol conditions
AU - Patil, Prafulla D.
AU - Gude, Veera Gnaneswar
AU - Mannarswamy, Aravind
AU - Deng, Shuguang
AU - Cooke, Peter
AU - Munson-McGee, Stuart
AU - Rhodes, Isaac
AU - Lammers, Pete
AU - Nirmalakhandan, Nagamany
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was partially supported by New Mexico State University Office of Vice President for Research and State of New Mexico through a New Mexico Technology Research Collaborative grant . The authors are thankful to CEHMM Artesia, NM for providing the wet algal biomass for biodiesel testing.
PY - 2011/1
Y1 - 2011/1
N2 - This study demonstrated a one-step process for direct liquefaction and conversion of wet algal biomass containing about 90% of water to biodiesel under supercritical methanol conditions. This one-step process enables simultaneous extraction and transesterification of wet algal biomass. The process conditions are milder than those required for pyrolysis and prevent the formation of by-products. In the proposed process, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) can be produced from polar phospholipids, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. A response surface methodology (RSM) was used to analyze the influence of the three process variables, namely, the wet algae to methanol (wt./vol.) ratio, the reaction temperature, and the reaction time, on the FAMEs conversion. Algal biodiesel samples were analyzed by ATR-FTIR and GC-MS. Based on the experimental analysis and RSM study, optimal conditions for this process are reported as: wet algae to methanol (wt./vol.) ratio of around 1:9, reaction temperature and time of about 255°C, and 25. min respectively. This single-step process can potentially be an energy efficient and economical route for algal biodiesel production.
AB - This study demonstrated a one-step process for direct liquefaction and conversion of wet algal biomass containing about 90% of water to biodiesel under supercritical methanol conditions. This one-step process enables simultaneous extraction and transesterification of wet algal biomass. The process conditions are milder than those required for pyrolysis and prevent the formation of by-products. In the proposed process, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) can be produced from polar phospholipids, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. A response surface methodology (RSM) was used to analyze the influence of the three process variables, namely, the wet algae to methanol (wt./vol.) ratio, the reaction temperature, and the reaction time, on the FAMEs conversion. Algal biodiesel samples were analyzed by ATR-FTIR and GC-MS. Based on the experimental analysis and RSM study, optimal conditions for this process are reported as: wet algae to methanol (wt./vol.) ratio of around 1:9, reaction temperature and time of about 255°C, and 25. min respectively. This single-step process can potentially be an energy efficient and economical route for algal biodiesel production.
KW - Biodiesel
KW - Response surface methodology
KW - Supercritical methanol
KW - Wet algae
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U2 - 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.06.031
DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.06.031
M3 - Article
C2 - 20591655
AN - SCOPUS:77957339238
VL - 102
SP - 118
EP - 122
JO - Agricultural Wastes
JF - Agricultural Wastes
SN - 0960-8524
IS - 1
ER -