Microalgae Chlorella as a potential bio-energy feedstock

摘要

Microalgae are promising biomass species owing to their fast growth rate and high CO_2 fixation ability as compared to terrestrial plants. Microalgae have long been recognized as potentially good source for bio-fuel production because of their high oil content and rapid biomass production. In this study Chlorella sp. MP-1 biomass was examined for its physical and chemical characteristics using Bomb calorimeter, TGDTA, CHN and FTIR. The proximate composition was calculated using standard ASTM methodology. Chtorella sp. MP-1 biomass shows low ash (5.93%), whereas high energy (18.59 MJ/kg), carbohydrate (19.46%), and lipid (28.82%) content. The algal de-oiled cake was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric study at 10 ℃/min and 30 ℃/min to investigate its feasibility for thermo-chem-ical conversion. The present investigation suggests that within the realm of biomass energy technologies the algal biomass can be used as feedstock for bio and thermo-chemical whereas the de-oiled cake for thermo-chemical conversion thereby serving the demand of second generation biofuels.