Co-production of bio-oil and propylene through the hydrothermal liquefaction of polyhydroxybutyrate producing cyanobacteria
Jonathan L. Wagner
Rachel Bransgrove
Tracey A. Beacham
Michael J. Allen
Katharina Meixner
Bernhard Drosg
Valeska P. Ting
Christopher J. Chuck
2134/38380
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Co-production_of_bio-oil_and_propylene_through_the_hydrothermal_liquefaction_of_polyhydroxybutyrate_producing_cyanobacteria/9241880
In this investigation, PHB producing cyanobacteria were converted through
hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) into propylene and a bio-oil suitable for
advanced biofuel production. HTL of model compounds demonstrated that in
contrast to proteins and carbohydrates, which react to produce a range of
alternative intermediates, no synergistic effects were detected when converting
PHB in the presence of algal biomass. Subsequently, Synechocystis cf. salina,
which had accumulated 7.5 wt% PHB was converted via HTL (15 % dry weight
loading at 340 °C). The reaction gave an overall propylene yield of 2.6 %, higher
than that obtained from the analogous model compounds, in addition to a bio-oil
with a low total nitrogen content of 4.6 %. No propylene was recovered from the
alternative non-PHB producing cyanobacterial strains, Anabaena, Spirulina or
Synechococcus, suggesting that PHB is the sole source of propylene. PHB
producing microorganisms could therefore be used as a feedstock for a
biorefinery to produce polypropylene and advanced biofuels, with the level of
propylene being directly proportional to the accumulated amount of PHB.
2019-07-22 12:19:00
Polyhydroxybutyrate
Advanced biofuel
Microalgae
Hydrothermal liquefaction
Biorefinery
Biopolymers
Chemical Engineering not elsewhere classified