Rheological properties of microalgae slurry for application in hydrothermal pretreatment systems

Herein, the rheological properties of microalgae slurries (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) under different mass fractions and temperatures (293-373 K) were reported, which can significantly affect the energy requirement of hydrothermal pretreatment process and hence the performance of fermentation processes. The experiment results showed that the microalgae slurry had a shear-thinning phenomenon, suggesting that microalgae slurry is a non-Newtonian fluid. For the first time, the phenomenon of variable flow behavior index under varying shear rates was discovered. In addition, the viscosity and yield stress of the microalgae slurries decreased from 293 to 343 K; above 343 K, they increased with the temperature. Scanning electron microscopy analyses showed that the surface of the microalgae cells became rougher when the temperature increased from 343 to 373 K. Finally, the equations of the viscosity of the microalgae slurry, based on the temperatures and shear rates, were obtained.