Prospects for Biodiesel Production from Emerging Algal Resource: Process Optimization and Characterization of Biodiesel Properties

Maria Hasnain, Neelma Munir (), Zainul Abideen (), Heather Macdonald, Maria Hamid, Zaheer Abbas, Ali El-Keblawy, Roberto Mancinelli () and Emanuele Radicetti
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Maria Hasnain: Department of Biotechnology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 35200, Pakistan
Neelma Munir: Department of Biotechnology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 35200, Pakistan
Zainul Abideen: Dr. Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
Heather Macdonald: Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Maria Hamid: Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
Zaheer Abbas: Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
Ali El-Keblawy: Department of Applied Biology, College of Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
Roberto Mancinelli: Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Emanuele Radicetti: Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences (DOCPAS), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-29

Abstract: The present work focuses on the optimization of the energy conversion process and the use of algal resources for biodiesel production with ultrasound and microwave techniques in Oedogonium , Oscillatoria , Ulothrix , Chlorella , Cladophora , and Spirogyra for the first time. The fuel properties are investigated to optimize the efficiency of the newly emerging algal energy feedstock. The study indicates that the optimized microwave technique improves the lipid extraction efficiency in Oedogonium , Oscillatoria , Ulothrix , Chlorella , Cladophora , and Spirogyra (38.5, 34, 55, 48, 40, and 33%, respectively). Moreover, the ultrasonic technique was also effective in extracting more lipids from Oedogonium sp., Oscillatoria sp., Ulothrix sp., Chlorella , Cladophora sp., and Spirogyra sp. (32, 21, 51, 40, and 36%, respectively) than from controls, using an ultra-sonication power of 80 kHz with an 8-min extraction time. The fatty acid composition, especially the contents of C16:0 and C18:1, were also enhanced after the microwave and sonication pretreatments in algal species. Enhancement of the lipids extracted from algal species improved the cetane number, high heating value, cold filter plugging point, and oxidative stability as compared to controls. Our results indicate that the conversion of biofuels from algae could be increased by the ultrasound and microwave techniques, to develop an eco-green and sustainable environment.

Keywords: microalgae; pretreatment; ultra-sonication; microwave extraction; lipids; biodiesel (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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