Effects of Operational Parameters on the Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Enteromorpha prolifera and Products Distribution

摘要

Macroalgae, such as Enteromorpha prolifera, has recently bloomed due to the eutrophication of seawater in eastern coastal area of China. However, EP may be utilized as a renewable feedstock to produce biocrude oil through hydrothermal liquefaction. In this study, an orthogonal design was applied to investigate the effects of changing the operational parameters, including the holding temperature (260, 290, 320 degrees C), the retention time (30, 60, 90 min) and the total solid content (TS) (10, 20, 30%) on the hydrothermal liquefaction of Enteromorpha prolifera. The highest biocrude oil yield was 13.89% obtained at 320 degrees C, a retention time of 60 min, a TS of 10%, with an oil higher heating value of 33.51 MJ/kg. The relatively low oil yield was probably due to the high content of ash (29.16%) in Enteromorpha prolifera. GC-MS analysis indicated that the biocrude oil mainly consisted of hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, aldehydes, and nitrogen-containing compounds. The current study suggested a sustainable approach for the valorization of Enteromorpha prolifera.