Issue 3, 2012

Power dissipation in microwave-enhanced in situ transesterification of algal biomass to biodiesel

Abstract

We investigated the effect of power dissipation on microwave-accelerated simultaneous extraction and transesterification of dry algal biomass (Nannochloropsis salina) to biodiesel. The response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to design the experiments and optimize the process parameters, including dry algae to methanol ratio, reaction time and catalyst concentrations, by evaluating their influences on the fatty acid methyl ester yield (FAME) under controlled microwave power conditions. The microwave energy utilization efficiency was estimated at various power levels to optimize the power dissipation, maximize FAME yields and minimize energy losses. The algal biomass characterization and algal biodiesel analysis were performed using various analytical instruments such as FTIR, SEM-EDS, TGA and GC-MS. The Nile Red method was applied for lipid localization in microalgae cells using confocal microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The direct conversion technique has the potential to provide energy-efficient and economical routes for biodiesel production from algal biomass.

Graphical abstract: Power dissipation in microwave-enhanced in situ transesterification of algal biomass to biodiesel

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Sep 2011
Accepted
09 Jan 2012
First published
08 Feb 2012

Green Chem., 2012,14, 809-818

Power dissipation in microwave-enhanced in situ transesterification of algal biomass to biodiesel

P. D. Patil, H. Reddy, T. Muppaneni, A. Mannarswamy, T. Schuab, F. O. Holguin, P. Lammers, N. Nirmalakhandan, P. Cooke and S. Deng, Green Chem., 2012, 14, 809 DOI: 10.1039/C2GC16195H

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