title: Photobioreactor cultivation and catalytic pyrolysis of the microalga Desmodesmus communis (Chlorophyceae) for hydrocarbons production by HZSM-5 zeolite cracking.
abstract: The study evaluated the growth of Desmodesmus communis on column photobioreactor and its thermochemical treatment by catalytic pyrolysis using HZSM-5 zeolite. D. communis showed good results in terms of growth (0.05gL-1d-1). Analytical pyrolysis of original algae and derived bio-oil mixed with zeolite was used as a screening method in order to gather information on the cracking process. Preparative pyrolysis on bench scale reactor was performed on algae biomass over a zeolite bed at 1:10 ratio (wt/wt). Py-GC-MS of biomass/catalyst mixture showed that the denitrogenation/deoxygenation increased with increasing zeolite load from 1:5 to 1:20 ratio and became significant at 1:10 ratio. The composition observed by analytical pyrolysis was featured by the predominance of alkylated monoaromatic hydrocarbons. The scaling-up to bench scale confirmed the results obtained with analytical pyrolysis in terms of monoaromatic hydrocarbons. However, low yield of catalytic oil (8% by weight) was observed.
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale, C.I.R.I - Energia Ambiente, Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.conti5@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pezzolesi
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale, C.I.R.I - Energia Ambiente, Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pistocchi
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale, C.I.R.I - Energia Ambiente, Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy; Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torri
authors.affiliation: Istituto Motori, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Marconi 8, 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massoli
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale, C.I.R.I - Energia Ambiente, Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy; Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fabbri
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis; D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002384:Catalysis; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D058433:Photobioreactors; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D017641:Zeolites
keywords: Catalytic pyrolysis; Column photobioreactor; Desmodesmus communis; HZSM-5; Py-GC–MS