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Nutrient Flows and Quality of Bio-crude Oil Produced via Catalytic Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Low-Lipid Microalgae

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Abstract

Five heterogeneous and two alkaline catalysts were applied into the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, a low-lipid microalgal species. The effects of catalysts on the bio-crude oil yield were more substantial at 280 ºC (bio-crude oil yield was increased by 10 %) than at 240 ºC although bio-crude oil formation had already occurred at the low temperature. At 240 ºC, additions of catalyst could improve the boiling point distribution of bio-crude oil. At 280 ºC, addition of alkaline catalysts increased the fractions of compounds with high boiling points due to the formation of nitrogen and oxygen heterocyclic compounds. The majority of nitrogen (59∼68 %) and phosphorus (52∼86 %) content in the feedstock remained in the aqueous phase after the HTL process, implying the possible feasibility to reuse the nutrients in the post-HTL water. Carbon deposition and mineral mixing were found on the surface of metal catalysts after HTL.

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Acknowledgments

A graduate fellowship to support the first author by the Graduate College from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is greatly appreciated. We also would like to express our gratitude towards Dr. Alexander Ulanov from Metabolomics Center in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the help with analyzing volatile compounds in bio-crude oil samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Agricultural and Engineering Science Building, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 West Pennsylvania Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Guo Yu, Yuanhui Zhang, Ted Funk & Lance Schideman

  2. Newmark Lab, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Bin Guo

Authors
  1. Guo Yu
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  2. Yuanhui Zhang
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  3. Bin Guo
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  4. Ted Funk
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  5. Lance Schideman
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Correspondence to Yuanhui Zhang.

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Yu, G., Zhang, Y., Guo, B. et al. Nutrient Flows and Quality of Bio-crude Oil Produced via Catalytic Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Low-Lipid Microalgae. Bioenerg. Res. 7, 1317–1328 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9471-3

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