Effective harvesting of low surface-hydrophobicity microalgae by froth flotation.

Microalgae harvesting by air flotation is a promising technology for large-scale production of biofuel, feed and nutraceuticals from algae. With an adherence-to-hydrocarbon method and two different types of flotation cells (mechanically agitated cell and Jameson cell), microalgal surface hydrophobicity and bubble size were identified to be critical for effective froth flotation of microalgae. Freshwater alga Chlorella sp. BR2 showed naturally a high hydrophobicity and an ideal response to flotation. However, many marine microalgae possess a low surface hydrophobicity and are thus difficult to harvest. This paper shows that a step-wise optimization approach can substantially improve the flotation of a low surface hydrophobicity marine microalga, Tetraselmis sp. M8, to near full recovery with an enrichment ratio of 11.4.

A comparative study: the impact of different lipid extraction methods on current microalgal lipid research.

Microalgae cells have the potential to rapidly accumulate lipids, such as triacylglycerides that contain fatty acids important for high value fatty acids (e.g., EPA and DHA) and/or biodiesel production. However, lipid extraction methods for microalgae cells are not well established, and there is currently no standard extraction method for the determination of the fatty acid content of microalgae. This has caused a few problems in microlagal biofuel research due to the bias derived from different extraction methods. Therefore, this study used several extraction methods for fatty acid analysis on marine microalga Tetraselmis sp. M8, aiming to assess the potential impact of different extractions on current microalgal lipid research. These methods included classical Bligh & Dyer lipid extraction, two other chemical extractions using different solvents and sonication, direct saponification and supercritical CO2 extraction. Soxhlet-based extraction was used to weigh out the importance of solvent polarity in the algal oil extraction. Coupled with GC/MS, a Thermogravimetric Analyser was used to improve the quantification of microalgal lipid extractions. Among these extractions, significant differences were observed in both, extract yield and fatty acid composition. The supercritical extraction technique stood out most for effective extraction of microalgal lipids, especially for long chain unsaturated fatty acids. The results highlight the necessity for comparative analyses of microalgae fatty acids and careful choice and validation of analytical methodology in microalgal lipid research.

Flotation of marine microalgae: effect of algal hydrophobicity.

This study aims to understand the underlying reasons for the poor flotation response of marine microalgae. The flotation performance and hydrophobicity of a freshwater microalga (Chlorella sp. BR2) were compared to those of a marine microalga (Tetraselmis sp. M8) at different salinities in the presence of a cationic collector, tetradecyl trimethylammonium bromide. It was found that microalgal hydrophobicity played a more important role than salinity in determining the flotation performance.

Isolation and evaluation of oil-producing microalgae from subtropical coastal and brackish waters.

Microalgae have been widely reported as a promising source of biofuels, mainly based on their high areal productivity of biomass and lipids as triacylglycerides and the possibility for cultivation on non-arable land. The isolation and selection of suitable strains that are robust and display high growth and lipid accumulation rates is an important prerequisite for their successful cultivation as a bioenergy source, a process that can be compared to the initial selection and domestication of agricultural crops. We developed standard protocols for the isolation and cultivation for a range of marine and brackish microalgae. By comparing growth rates and lipid productivity, we assessed the potential of subtropical coastal and brackish microalgae for the production of biodiesel and other oil-based bioproducts. This study identified Nannochloropsis sp., Dunaniella salina and new isolates of Chlorella sp. and Tetraselmis sp. as suitable candidates for a multiple-product algae crop. We conclude that subtropical coastal microalgae display a variety of fatty acid profiles that offer a wide scope for several oil-based bioproducts, including biodiesel and omega-3 fatty acids. A biorefinery approach for microalgae would make economical production more feasible but challenges remain for efficient harvesting and extraction processes for some species.