Low solvent, low temperature method for extracting biodiesel lipids from concentrated microalgal biomass

Abstract

An industrially relevant method for disrupting microalgal cells and preferentially extracting neutral lipids for large-scale biodiesel production was demonstrated on pastes (20-25% solids) of Nannochloropsis sp. The highly resistant Nannochloropsis sp. cells. were disrupted by incubation for 15. h at 37. °C followed by high pressure homogenization at 1200. ±. 100. bar. Lipid extraction was performed by twice contacting concentrated algal paste with minimal hexane (solvent:biomass ratios (w/w) of <2:1 and <1.3:1) in a stirred vessel at 35. °C. Cell disruption prior to extraction increased lipid recovery 100-fold, with yields of 30-50% w/w obtained in the first hexane contact, and a further 6...