title: Concurrent production of biodiesel and chemicals through wet in situ transesterification of microalgae.
abstract: This work addresses an unprecedented way of co-producing biodiesel (FAEE) and valuable chemicals of ethyl levulinate (EL), ethyl formate (EF) and diethyl ether (DEE) from wet in situ transesterification of microalgae. EL, EF, and DEE were significantly produced up to 23.1%, 10.3%, and 52.1% of the maximum FAEE mass with the FAEE yield higher than 90% at 125 °C. Experiments to elucidate a detailed route of EL and EF synthesis were fulfilled and it was found that its main route to the production of EL and EF was the acid hydrolysis of algal cells and esterification with ethanol. To investigate the effect of reaction variables on the products yields, comprehensive experiments were carried out with varying temperatures, solvent and alcohol volumes, moisture contents and catalyst amounts. Coproduction of DEE, EL, EF and FAEE can contribute to elevating the economic feasibility of microalgae-based biodiesel supply chain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hanjin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jaewlee@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jae W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002725:Chloroform / Q000494:pharmacology; D004951:Esterification / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004986:Ether / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005563:Formic Acid Esters / Q000378:metabolism*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007982:Levulinic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012997:Solvents / Q000494:pharmacology; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005563:Formic Acid Esters; D007982:Levulinic Acids; D012997:Solvents; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D014867:Water; D004986:Ether; C510888:ethyl formate; D000431:Ethanol; C542586:ethyl levulinate; D002725:Chloroform; C033158:sulfuric acid; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: Biodiesel; Cell hydrolysis; Chemicals; Microalgae; Wet in situ transesterification