Biodiesel production from Neochloris oleoabundans by supercritical technology

HEGEL, P.; DAMIANI, C.; LEONARDI, P.; POPOVICH, C.; PEREDA, S.; MARTÍN, L.; PANCALDI, S.; HEGEL, P.; DAMIANI, C.; LEONARDI, P.; POPOVICH, C.; PEREDA, S.; MARTÍN, L.; PANCALDI, S.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Año: 2017 vol. 131 p. 232 - 239

0255-2701

Oleaginousmicroalgae have been proposed as a sustainable alternative biomass to producebiodiesel in order to substitute conventional vegetable oils derived fromoilseed crops. Particularly, recent studies pointed out the potential of N. oleoabundans, cultured in seawater orin anaerobically digested dairy manure, to produce triglycerides with highcontent of monounsaturated fatty acids. The supercritical technology has beenrecognized as a green sustainable alternative to transform biomass intovaluable products. Thus, the aim of the present wok was to study the directsupercritical alcohol processing of partially dried N. oleoabundans biomass and later reaction products fractionationby supercritical CO2 or liquid nhexane. A direct alcoholysis of microalgaebiomass was carried out at different temperatures (250°C and 280°C) andincreasing reaction times in order to evaluate the fatty acid ester production.Bio-oils from microalgae with up to 35 wt.% fatty acid esters were obtained bytwo fold extraction with n-hexane. Conversely, supercritical CO2 fractionationproduced upgraded bio-oils with up to 68 wt.% of fatty acid esters content.