A review on current advances in the energy and cost effective pretreatments of algal biomass: Enhancement in liquefaction and biofuel recovery

S Kavitha; Rashmi Gondi; R Yukesh Kannah; Gopalakrishnan Kumar; J Rajesh Banu

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128383

A review on current advances in the energy and cost effective pretreatments of algal biomass: Enhancement in liquefaction and biofuel recovery

Bioresour Technol. 2023 Feb:369:128383. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128383. Epub 2022 Nov 24.

Authors

S Kavitha¹, Rashmi Gondi², R Yukesh Kannah³, Gopalakrishnan Kumar⁴, J Rajesh Banu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, Anna University Regional Campus, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
² Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu - 610005, India.
³ Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, United States of America.
⁴ Institute of Chemistry, Bioscience, and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, PO Box 8600 Forus, 4036 Stavanger, Norway; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu - 610005, India. Electronic address: rajeshces@gmail.com.

PMID: 36427767
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128383

Abstract

The main downside of utilizing algal biomass for biofuel production is the rigid cell wall which confines the availability of soluble organics to hydrolytic microbes during biofuel conversion. This constraint reduces the biofuel production efficiency of algal biomass. On the other hand, presenting various pretreatment methods before biofuel production affords cell wall disintegration and enhancement in biofuel generation. The potential of pretreatment methods chiefly relies on the extent of biomass liquefaction, energy, and cost demand. In this review, different pretreatments employed to disintegrate algal biomass were conferred in depth with detailed information on their efficiency in enhancing liquefaction and biofuel yield for pilot-scale implementation. Based on this review, it has been concluded that combinative and phase-separated pretreatments provide virtual input in enhancing the biofuel generation based on liquefaction potential, energy, and cost. Future studies should focus on decrement in cost and energy requirement of pretreatment in depth.

Keywords: Algal biomass; Biofuel; Energy parameters; Liquefaction; Phase separated pretreatment.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Biofuels*
Biomass
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Hydrolysis
Plants*

Substances

Biofuels