Date of Submission

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering

Department

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Advisor

Kristine Horvat, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Eddie Luzik, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Cameron Oden, Ph.D.

Keywords

Renewable energy sources, Algae biofuels, Green solvent, Microalgae extraction, Biodiesel, 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran

LCSH

Renewable energy sources, Algal biofuels, Solvent extraction, Organic solvents—Biotechnology, Biodiesel fuels

Abstract

As the world continues to evolve and expand in both technology and population, the energy demand continues to increase as well to keep up with the production of new products and higher production rates. The depletion of fossil fuels and the considerable amount of greenhouse gases from the use of nonrenewable energy sources fuel the demand for renewable energy sources. These renewable energy sources originate from a variety of places, such as wind power, hydroelectric, and solar. Biomass continues to grow in the renewable energy sector due to its versatility in high lipid content and minimal competition with other biomass resources. Although algae serve as a strong and viable source of energy, major hurdles need to be overcome in the conversion of biofuels from algae. One of these main hurdles comes from the high energy demand in the downstream processing to convert the extracted lipids into biodiesel. This study analyzes the use of the green solvent, 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran for the extraction of Nanno 3600 microalgae for a more efficient and eco-friendly production process and its related energy inputs. This new solvent system is then used in the extraction of Connecticut native algae to determine how this specific strain compares to the current industry standards. Extraction experiments were carried out with NANNO 3600 at 20oC and 30oC with traditional solvents such as hexane and were compared to the greener alternative of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran. Results show that extractions carried out with 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at 30oC have an increase in yield of 77.69% with a corresponding extraction efficiency of 36.54% when compared to the traditional extraction solvent, hexane. These findings support the possible alternative for a greener extraction solvent for the conversion of microalgae to biodiesel.

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