Algal polycultures enhance coproduct recycling from hydrothermal liquefaction

Casey M Godwin; David C Hietala; Aubrey R Lashaway; Anita Narwani; Phillip E Savage; Bradley J Cardinale

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2016.11.105

Algal polycultures enhance coproduct recycling from hydrothermal liquefaction

Bioresour Technol. 2017 Jan:224:630-638. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.11.105. Epub 2016 Nov 29.

Authors

Casey M Godwin¹, David C Hietala², Aubrey R Lashaway³, Anita Narwani³, Phillip E Savage⁴, Bradley J Cardinale³

Affiliations

¹ School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: cgodwin@umich.edu.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2300 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
³ School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2300 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 158 Fenske Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

PMID: 27923610
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.11.105

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if polycultures of algae could enhance tolerance to aqueous-phase coproduct (ACP) from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of algal biomass to produce biocrude. The growth of algal monocultures and polycultures was characterized across a range ACP concentrations and sources. All of the monocultures were either killed or inhibited by 2% ACP, but polycultures of the same species were viable at up to 10%. The addition of ACP increased the growth rate (up to 25%) and biomass production (53%) of polycultures, several of which were more productive in ACP than any monoculture was in the presence or absence of ACP. These results suggest that a cultivation process that applies biodiversity to nutrient recycling could produce more algae with less fertilizer consumption.

Keywords: Algal biofuels; Biodiversity; Coproduct recycling; Hydrothermal liquefaction; Nutrient recycling.

MeSH terms

Biodiversity
Biofuels*
Biomass
Biotechnology / methods
Chlorophyta / physiology*
Coculture Techniques*
Recycling*
Water

Substances

Biofuels
Water