Journal
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
Volume 109, Issue -, Pages 178-187Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.01.008
Keywords
Algae; Hydrothermal liquefaction; Pyrolysis; Scenedesmus; Spirulina
Funding
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Science to Achieve Results (STAR)
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois
- University of Illinois Research Board
- National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems [CBET-0746453]
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
- Directorate For Engineering [0746453] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Thermochemical conversion is a promising route for recovering energy from algal biomass. Two thermochemical processes, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL: 300 degrees C and 10-12 MPa) and slow pyrolysis (heated to 450 degrees C at a rate of 50 degrees C/min), were used to produce bio-oils from Scenedesmus (raw and defatted) and Spinilina biomass that were compared against Illinois shale oil. Although both thermochemical conversion routes produced energy dense bio-oil (35-37 MJ/kg) that approached shale oil (41 MJ/kg), bio-oil yields (24-45%) and physico-chemical characteristics were highly influenced by conversion route and feedstock selection. Sharp differences were observed in the mean bio-oil molecular weight (pyrolysis 280-360 Da; HTL 700-1330 Da) and the percentage of low boiling compounds (bp < 400 degrees C) (pyrolysis 62-66%; HTL 45-54%). Analysis of the energy consumption ratio (ECR) also revealed that for wet algal biomass (80% moisture content). HTL is more favorable (ECR 0.44-0.63) than pyrolysis (ECR 0.92-1.24) due to required water volatilization in the latter technique. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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