Chapters authored
Microalgal Biomass: A Biorefinery Approach
The biorefinery concept has been identified as the most promising way to create a biomass-based industry, which can be defined as the sustainable biomass processing to obtain energy biofuels and high-value products through processes and equipment for biomass. Microalgae can be used as an efficient and economically viable biorefinery feedstock; microalgae could be used in different areas such as human and animal nutrition, nutraceutical and therapeutic products, fertilizers, plastics, isoprenes and biofuels and also in the treatment of wastewaters and CO2 capture. Microalgae biomass can be used for biofuel production, such as bioelectricity, methane, biohydrogen, bioethanol and biodiesel. In this chapter, an overview of the factors that affect the production of the microalgal biomass yield and value-added by-products production is presented. Likewise, we present the results of the microalgal culture of Scenedesmus sp. SCX2 performed in semicontinuous culture (SCC), in 2000 raceway ponds employing Bold’s Basal Medium (BBM), under greenhouse conditions. Over the SCC, we monitored biomass concentration, lipid, protein, pigments and sugar production, light irradiance, culture and greenhouse temperature and nitrate concentration in the medium.
Part of the book: Biomass Volume Estimation and Valorization for Energy