earticle

영어

Biodiesel from microalgae is expected to be a desirable, renewable biofuel that can replace petroleum-derived transport fuels. However, the development of a cost-effective harvesting method is required to reduce the production cost and realize the economic feasibility. A partial factorial design was used to screen the main factors among several inorganic coagulants and bioflocculants. These factors were different, depending on the algal genera. Response surface methodology was used to further investigate the optimal conditions for these factors on flocculation of Scenedesmus sp. and Botryococcus braunii. Analysis of variance and other relevant tests, such as lack of fit and residual probability plots, confirmed the validity of the suggested empirical model. The optimal flocculation conditions could be easily derived using the obtained equation. The experimentally determined flocculating activities corresponded with the estimated values. The equation suggested using response surface methodology could be applied to optimize harvesting conditions and minimize the related costs of biodiesel production.