ABE FERMENTATION FROM MICROALGAE-DERIVED CARBOHYDRATES AFTER LIPID EXTRACTION

摘要

Although lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant substrate, major challenges in their pretreatment and digestion remain a serious limitation for large scale second generation biofuel production. First generation feedstocks which are primarily starchy substrates like corn have much more favourable economics as they are simple to mash. However, concerns related to the use of water and land for the production of biofuel crops have generated a need for alternative biomass sources for renewable biofuel production from a non-food crop. One biomass which satisfies all of these concerns is microalgae. Many strains are capable of growing in waste water, can accumulate carbon intracellularly as starch, are not eaten as food in any significant amount, and also have the added bonus of fixing CO_2 during photosynthetic growth. However, production of microalgae biomass has its own particular challenges such as the high cost of dewatering and drying microalgal biomass.