Evaluation of near-ambient algal biomass fractionation conditions for bioproduct development
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Evaluation of near-ambient algal biomass fractionation conditions for bioproduct development Robert Pace 1,2 & Stephanie Kesner 1 & Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez 1,2 & Tonya Morgan 1 & Molly Frazar 1 & Vincent Kelly 1 & M. Ashton Zeller 3 & Mark Crocker 1,2 Received: 21 July 2020 / Revised: 7 October 2020 / Accepted: 16 October 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This contribution describes an algal fractionation scheme based on cell lysing and carbohydrate hydrolysis under acidic conditions, coupled with solvent extraction, that produces algal lipids, carbohydrates, and proteinaceous solid from partially dewatered algal biomass. A design of experiments analysis was employed to identify the effect of fractionation conditions on the yields of the three product streams. By selection of appropriate conditions, the process can be steered from simple lipid extraction to near complete fractionation of the biomass. Lipid purification and upgrading were respectively achieved with a low-cost adsorbent and an inexpensive Ni-based catalyst that deoxygenated the lipids via decarboxylation/decarbonylation, an approach offering several advantages over the hydrodeoxygenation-based processes typically employed to convert lipids to hydrocarbons. The proteinaceous solids obtained were found to have much lower ash content as well as higher protein content relative to the untreated algae, enhancing the suitability of this material as a feedstock for the production of bioplastics. Keywords Algae . Lysing . Solvent extraction . Bioplastic . Lipid . Deoxygenation
1 Introduction As the transition to renewable technologies occurs, it is critically important to leverage current natural gas-, coal-, and petroleum-based power generation capacity not only to allow companies to recoup their capital investments in these facilities but also to help stabilize the power grid against the variable nature of solar and wind power [1, 2]. The cultivation of microalgae is one of several approaches that have been proposed to mitigate the resulting CO2 emissions [3], the aim being to reduce the carbon output of fossil-based power plants while offsetting the capital and operational expenditures of the Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-01090-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.. * Mark Crocker [email protected] 1
Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, 2540 Research Park Drive, Lexington, KY 40511, USA
2
Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
3
Algix LLC, 5168 Water Tower Road, Meridian, MS 39301, USA
required technology through the isolation of value added products [4–8]. Once harvested, several methodologies can be employed to process algal biomass into a variety of products. The most direct methods of utilization are as animal feed or fertilizer, other methods including the production of bio-oil through hydrothermal liquefaction (H
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