AlgaeFLOAT · Developing nanocellulose-based recyclable flocculants for flotation harvesting of microalgae
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2022-03-01 → 2024-02-29
- EU contribution
- €178,320
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Developing nanocellulose-based recyclable flocculants for flotation harvesting of microalgae
In Europe, the market demand for biomass is expected to increase to greater than €25 billion by 2050, mainly due to increased use of biomass for production of energy and chemicals. European initiatives such as the Green Deal and Blue Biotechnology aim to diversify and extend our biomass resources. Microalgae are an attractive novel biomass feedstock to complement agricultural and forestry biomass production. However, the small size of microalgae cells (1-10 μm) and low biomass concentration in the liquid culture medium (~1 g·L-1) complicate the harvesting of microalgal biomass using conventional solid-liquid separation technologies such as centrifugation or membrane filtration. It is widely believed that the harvesting of microalgal biomass could be better facilitated by aggregating small individual cells into larger aggregates using chemical flocculants via the flocculation process. Nonetheless, challenges remain, including contamination of the microalgal biomass with synthetic chemical flocculants and the separation of the flocculated biomass from the culture broth. In this project, the experienced researcher (ER; Dr. Narasinga Rao) aimed to combine flocculation using a bio-based and recyclable flocculant with conventional and the novel activated-bubble (advanced) dissolved air flotation (DAF) processes as a sustainable microalgal harvesting technology. To do this, the ER built on and further improved flocculants based on non-toxic polymers and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) developed by Profs. Koenraad Muylaert and Wim Thielemans at KU Leuven, Belgium. The second aim was to create a pH-responsive flocculant that can be removed from the biomass and recycled after harvesting, thus avoiding contamination of the harvested biomass. The ER combined these flocculants with his expertise on conventional and novel advanced DAF processes to develop an efficient and sustainable technology to concentrate microalgae.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The European market demand for biomass for feed, food, and fuel production is expected to increase to greater than €25 billion by 2050. Microalgae are an attractive and novel biomass feedstock that requires negligible arable land and resources. Yet, the small size of microalgae cells (1-10 µm) and low biomass concentration in the liquid culture medium (~1 g/L) complicate the harvesting of microalgal biomass using conventional technologies such as centrifugation or membrane filtration. It is widely believed that the harvesting of microalgal biomass could be better facilitated by aggregating small individual cells into larger aggregates using chemical flocculants via the flocculation process and then separating the flocculated biomass via gravity sedimentation. However, challenges remain, including contamination of the microalgal biomass with synthetic chemical flocculants, time-consuming separation, and high water content in the separated biomass. The combination of reversible bio-based flocculants, and fast separating and concentrated sludge yielding flotation processes can alleviate these challenges, with the added benefit of ensuring low environmental footprint and process costs. In this project, the experienced researcher (ER) aims to develop a sustainable microalgal harvesting technology that will build on and further improve reversible, low cost, bio-based flocculants derived from cellulose (developed at the host institute) in combination with his expertise on conventional and advanced dissolved air flotation (DAF) processes. This project will allow the ER to acquire novel scientific skills (synthesis, characterisation of renewable flocculants), which combined with his expertise in DAF, will allow him to create a unique niche in microalgal biotechnology specifically, and water technologies in general. It will also allow him to bring his management skills to the level required to obtain a tenure-tracked position at a leading European academic institution
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenCoordinatorBelgium
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union