Issue 2, 2016

Biomass-to-biocrude on a chip via hydrothermal liquefaction of algae

Abstract

Hydrothermal liquefaction uses high temperatures and pressures to break organic compounds into smaller fractions, and is considered the most promising method to convert wet microalgae feedstock to biofuel. Although, hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae has received much attention, the specific roles of temperature, pressure, heating rate and reaction time remain unclear. We present a microfluidic screening platform to precisely control and observe reaction conditions at high temperature and pressure. In situ observation using fluorescence enables direct, real-time monitoring of this process. A strong shift in the fluorescence signature from the algal slurry at 675 nm (chlorophyll peak) to a post-HTL stream at 510 nm is observed for reaction temperatures at 260 °C, 280 °C, 300 °C and 320 °C (P = 12 MPa), and occurs over a timescale on the order of 10 min. Biocrude formation and separation from the aqueous phase into immiscible droplets is directly observed and occurs over the same timescale. The higher heating values for the sample are observed to increase over shorter timescales on the order of minutes. After only 1 minute at 300 °C, the higher heating value increases from an initial value of 21.97 MJ kg−1 to 33.63 MJ kg−1. The microfluidic platform provides unprecedented control and insight into this otherwise opaque process, with resolution that will guide the design of large scale reactors and processes.

Graphical abstract: Biomass-to-biocrude on a chip via hydrothermal liquefaction of algae

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Technical Innovation
Submitted
06 Nov 2015
Accepted
09 Dec 2015
First published
09 Dec 2015

Lab Chip, 2016,16, 256-260

Biomass-to-biocrude on a chip via hydrothermal liquefaction of algae

X. Cheng, M. D. Ooms and D. Sinton, Lab Chip, 2016, 16, 256 DOI: 10.1039/C5LC01369K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements