Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
11:08
Cultivation of Green Microalgae in Bubble Column Photobioreactors and an Assay for Neutral Lipids
Published on: January 7, 2019
21.4K
Enhanced lipid extraction from algae using free nitrous acid pretreatment.
Xue Bai1, Forough Ghasemi Naghdi2, Liu Ye1
1School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
Bioresource Technology
|March 18, 2014
Summary
Free nitrous acid (FNA) pretreatment effectively disrupts algal cells, significantly enhancing lipid recovery for biodiesel production. This low-cost method improves extraction efficiency and accessibility of lipids from algae.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Renewable Energy
- Biochemical Engineering
Background:
- Lipid extraction is a critical limitation in scaling up algal biodiesel production.
- Efficient recovery of lipids from microalgae is essential for economic viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate free nitrous acid (FNA) as a cost-effective pretreatment for enhancing algal lipid recovery.
- To investigate the impact of FNA concentration and time on cell disruption and lipid accessibility.
Main Methods:
- Algal cells were pretreated using varying concentrations of free nitrous acid (FNA).
- Lipid content was quantified using the Bligh and Dyer method.
- Industrially relevant lipid extraction was assessed using hexane, with mass transfer coefficients determined.
Main Results:
- Lipid recovery increased with both FNA concentration (up to 2.19 mg HNO2-N/L) and pretreatment duration (up to 48 hours).
- Hexane extraction showed a dramatically higher mass transfer coefficient for FNA-treated algae.
- Cell disruption analysis confirmed the disruption of the algal cell membrane barrier.
Conclusions:
- Free nitrous acid (FNA) is a promising, low-cost pretreatment for improving lipid extraction from algae.
- FNA pretreatment enhances algal cell disruption, leading to increased lipid accessibility and recovery rates.
- This method offers a viable solution to a major bottleneck in large-scale algal biodiesel production.
