Optimization of biodiesel production from wet microalgal biomass by direct transesterification using the surface response methodology

M.D. Macías-Sánchez, A. Robles-Medina, M.J. Jiménez-Callejón, E. Hita-Peña, L. Estéban-Cerdán, P.A. González-Moreno, E. Navarro-López and E. Molina-Grima

Renewable Energy, 2018, vol. 129, issue PA, 141-149

Abstract: The production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs, biodiesel) was optimized from wet Nannochloropsis gaditana microalgal biomass (81.8 wt% water and 28.1 wt% saponifiable lipids, SLs, from the dry biomass). FAME production was carried out by direct acid-catalyzed methylation of the SLs from the microalgal biomass and FAME extraction with hexane. A three-variable, three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to optimize the sulphuric acid (catalyst) concentration, the methanol/SL ratio and the hexane/SL ratio. The best FAME yield was obtained with a methanol/SL ratio of 254 mL/g, a sulphuric acid concentration of 3.7% (v/v) and a hexane/SL ratio of 107.7 mL/g at 100 °C and for 105 min. Under these conditions, 100% of the SLs were transformed into FAMEs. Finally, the FAME purity was increased from 78.7 to 86.8 wt% using an adsorption treatment with bentonite.

Keywords: Biodiesel; Wet microalga; Nannochloropsis gaditana; Direct transesterification; Surface response methodology; Adsorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:129:y:2018:i:pa:p:141-149

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.06.001

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