Summary of separation methods for algal biodiesel

This paper talked about the different setups of possible processing plants for the creation
of algal biodiesel. At the end of the paper they presented the ideal setup for a plant using data
from literature about the different reactors and extraction methods. There are three different
methods that have been proposed for the separation of algae from its environment. These options
are centrifugation, filtration and flocculation/settling. Each of the methods have their good and
bad sides.
Centrifugation is the most used methods because of its reliability and well known results.
However, this can be an energy demanding process and get expensive quickly. Another method
of separation is filtration. This could be good because of the control you can have over pore size
on a filter. This may also get expensive if it costs a lot to manufacture filters with tiny pores and
good quality. The final method that has been proposed is flocculation/settling. Flocculation
requires little energy because you only need it when you want to mix the algae with the chemical
necessary to coagulate the algae. It can be a little tricky because different strains of algae will
react differently with various chemicals. However, various combinations of strains and
chemicals have been tested and finding literature values on these reactions is accessible.
In addition to the separation of algae from its environment, four methods of lipid
extraction have been proposed. One of the methods was to use a drill press to penetrate the seed
and use a solvent for extraction. This has been the go to process for lipid extraction for some
time and there is much data available for use. It is also possible to use supercritical CO2 due to
its abilities of being able to be more selective in the types of lipids it extracts. Further research
needs to be done to see if it may be possible to use the CO2 for another step in the processing
plant and for ideal conditions. Transesterfication is the following step in the processing of the
algae and if treated with methanol and a catalyst of sulfuric acid, it is possible to combine the
two steps into one. The final method is to use supercritical methanol. This requires no catalyst
like the previous method while still combing the two steps into one. Supercritical methanol will
require a high energy input but it may be worth it since you have to do less steps.
It was found that the combination of flocculation/settling with chitosan and supercritical
methanol for lipid extraction was the best choice. This is because of the low energy required for
flocculation and the use of chitosan, which is a renewable resource. Although energy intensive,
the supercritical methanol combines a couple steps into one and pays off as the least demanding
of the other three methods. In the future it would be beneficial for them to find out how to
extract specific lipid and other compounds they need. This would be important because you will
not waste energy in processing materials that are not useful to your goals.