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Performance enhancement of hydrothermal liquefaction for strategic and sustainable valorization of de-oiled yeast biomass into green bio-crude
Date Issued
01-08-2019
Author(s)
Chopra, Jayita
Mahesh, Danam
Yerrayya, Attada
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Sen, Ramkrishna
Abstract
While oleaginous yeasts have been extensively investigated for single-cell oil production, less attention has been paid towards valorization of the erstwhile-discarded de-oiled biomass. The current study demonstrates the valorization potential of the de-oiled biomass through production of bio-crude by hydrothermal liquefaction process. The performance of the process was enhanced by using glycerol as co-solvent and also by optimizing the processing conditions. Glycerol addition enhanced the bio-crude yield up to 50 wt% with an improved energy content of 32 MJ/kg. The major organic groups found in the bio-crude are acids, esters and phenolics. Typical energy recovery achieved in bio-crude was in the range of 43–62%. Thus, strategic valorization of yeast into green crude with net energy gain, as evident from the energy balance, implies the process is energetically favourable.
Volume
227