Slow Pyrolysis of Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta) for Sustainable Production of Bio-Oil and Biochar

Apip Amrullah, Obie Farobie, Asep Bayu, Novi Syaftika, Edy Hartulistiyoso, Navid R. Moheimani, Surachai Karnjanakom and Yukihiko Matsumura
Additional contact information
Apip Amrullah: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lambung Mangkurat University, Banjarmasin 70123, Indonesia
Obie Farobie: Department of Mechanical and Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), IPB Darmaga Campus, P.O. Box 220, Bogor 16002, Indonesia
Asep Bayu: Research Center for Biotechnology, Research Organization for Life Sciences, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor KM 46 Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia
Novi Syaftika: Center for Energy Resource and Chemical Industry Technology, Research Organization for Assessment and Application of Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
Edy Hartulistiyoso: Department of Mechanical and Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), IPB Darmaga Campus, P.O. Box 220, Bogor 16002, Indonesia
Navid R. Moheimani: Algae R&D Centre, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
Surachai Karnjanakom: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Rangsit University, Pathumthani 12000, Thailand
Yukihiko Matsumura: Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Ulva Lactuca is a fast-growing algae that can be utilized as a bioenergy source. However, the direct utilization of U. lactuca for energy applications still remains challenging due to its high moisture and inorganics content. Therefore, thermochemical processing such as slow pyrolysis to produce valuable added products, namely bio-oil and biochar, is needed. This study aims to conduct a thorough investigation of bio-oil and biochar production from U. lactuca to provide valuable data for its further valorization. A slow pyrolysis of U. lactuca was conducted in a batch-type reactor at a temperature range of 400–600 °C and times of 10–50 min. The results showed that significant compounds obtained in U. lactuca ’s bio-oil are carboxylic acids (22.63–35.28%), phenolics (9.73–31.89%), amines/amides (15.33–23.31%), and N-aromatic compounds (14.04–15.68%). The ultimate analysis revealed that biochar’s H/C and O/C atomic ratios were lower than feedstock, confirming that dehydration and decarboxylation reactions occurred throughout the pyrolysis. Additionally, biochar exhibited calorific values in the range of 19.94–21.61 MJ kg −1 , which is potential to be used as a solid renewable fuel. The surface morphological analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a larger surface area in U. lactuca ’s biochar than in the algal feedstock. Overall, this finding provides insight on the valorization of U. lactuca for value-added chemicals, i.e., biofuels and biochar, which can be further utilized for other applications.

Keywords: thermochemical conversion; biomass; seaweed; biofuel; algae (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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