Publicação
Ionic liquids assisted direct transesterification of microalgae for biodiesel production
| Resumo: | The growing global demand for sustainable energy sources, coupled with the negative environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels, has driven the development of renewable alternatives such as biodiesel. Biodiesel, produced from biological materials such as vegetable oils, animal fats and, more recently, microalgae, stands out as a promising solution for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change. Microalgae, in particular, are seen as a highly efficient source due to their rapid growth, high lipid content, and ability to be cultivated in diverse environments without competing with agricultural areas destined for food production.This dissertation investigates the feasibility of producing biodiesel from microalgae through an integrated process of extraction and direct transesterification, assisted by ionic liquids. The main objective was to develop and characterize a di-anionic ionic liquid (DAIL), derived from sulfosuccinic acid, capable of simultaneously optimizing lipid extraction and the transesterification reaction, promoting the production of methyl esters (biodiesel) more efficiently. The performance of this ionic liquid was compared with that of traditional catalysts such as sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and sodium hi-droxide (NaOH), as well as with a commercial ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate). The experimental tests demonstrated that DAIL outperformed the commercial ionic liquid in the esterification of benzoic acid to methyl benzoate. Introducing a microwave pre-treatment to the algae enhanced the extraction yield but did not significantly improve the yield of FAMEs. Slight differences in the FAME's profile were observed between the samples with and without pre-treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the potential of the proposed ionic liquid and its combination with microwave pre-treatment, particularly in addressing limitations of conventional biodiesel production methods, especially concerning process efficiency and sustainability. |
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| Autores principais: | Rodrigues, Tiago Martins |
| Assunto: | biodiesel microalgae ionic liquid transesterification one-pot reaction |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| Resumo: | The growing global demand for sustainable energy sources, coupled with the negative environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels, has driven the development of renewable alternatives such as biodiesel. Biodiesel, produced from biological materials such as vegetable oils, animal fats and, more recently, microalgae, stands out as a promising solution for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change. Microalgae, in particular, are seen as a highly efficient source due to their rapid growth, high lipid content, and ability to be cultivated in diverse environments without competing with agricultural areas destined for food production.This dissertation investigates the feasibility of producing biodiesel from microalgae through an integrated process of extraction and direct transesterification, assisted by ionic liquids. The main objective was to develop and characterize a di-anionic ionic liquid (DAIL), derived from sulfosuccinic acid, capable of simultaneously optimizing lipid extraction and the transesterification reaction, promoting the production of methyl esters (biodiesel) more efficiently. The performance of this ionic liquid was compared with that of traditional catalysts such as sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and sodium hi-droxide (NaOH), as well as with a commercial ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate). The experimental tests demonstrated that DAIL outperformed the commercial ionic liquid in the esterification of benzoic acid to methyl benzoate. Introducing a microwave pre-treatment to the algae enhanced the extraction yield but did not significantly improve the yield of FAMEs. Slight differences in the FAME's profile were observed between the samples with and without pre-treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the potential of the proposed ionic liquid and its combination with microwave pre-treatment, particularly in addressing limitations of conventional biodiesel production methods, especially concerning process efficiency and sustainability. |
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