Research Article
Open Access
Locally Isolated Microalgae as a Source of Biodiesel and By Products: An Integral Study of Med-Algae Project
Nagwa G-E. Mohammady1, Heba S. El-Sayed2, Eman M. Fakhry1, Hala M. Taha2, Jihan H. Mohamed1, Nirouz H. Mahmoud1 and Basma A. Abdelsalam1
1Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
2National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt.
Nagwa G-E. Mohammady et al /Int.J. Chemical Concepts. 2015,1(2),pp 94-102.
Abstract
An integral lab study of Med-algae project was done on locally isolated algal strain
Nannochloropsis sp. to examine its potential as a feedstock for biodiesel and other bio-products.
Nannochloropsis sp. was isolated and cultivated in 25L Flat Panel Photobioreactor under best
growth promoting conditions of light, 300 µmol m- 2 s- 1; salinity, 30 g/l; nitrate, 6 mg/l; pH, 9;
and dilution, 10%. The maximum growth data was obtained during autumn, 2014. The results
showed that the maximum dry wt was 3.3 g/L, while the growth rate was 1.5/day. Biochemical
analyses expressed in % of the dry wt were as following: carbohydrate content, 22; Protein content,
32; while lipid content was 40%. The amount of ashes, 1.1 mg/l; chlorophyll a, 0.58 mg/l; while
total carotenoids were 2.56 mg/l. Amino acid analysis indicated the presence of 15 fractions. A
detailed analysis of fatty acid methyl esters comprising biodiesel was present in this study.
*This study has been organized on the basis of a submitted lab scale research component of Med
algae project.
Keywords
Biodiesel, By-Products, Chlorella sp.
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