Investigation of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as a source for renewable fuel

ABSTRACT

Microalgae are a promising alternative source for biodiesel production due to the potential high oil content in its cells and fast generation to yield a higher biomass. The focus of this study was to provide a feasibility study on the potential of a local isolated Chlorella vulgaris strain for biodiesel production comprising of cell growth, biomass productivity and drying at various temperatures. The results showed that C. vulgaris which was cultured in pH 7 medium, under the light intensity of 2000 lux and 14/10 h photoperiod cycle, produced the highest number of cells and biomass. pH, light intensity and photoperiod had an individual influence on the cell growth. Drying at 60°C was identified to be ideal since the lipid content decreased marginally while the lipid composition was retained, i.e. 36.45% of saturated and 60.05% of unsaturated fatty acid. The biodiesel synthesized in this study contained 16 to 18 carbon atoms (palmitic, stearic, oleic, palmitoleic, linoleic and linolenic acid) which were suitable elements in producing biodiesel. Furthermore, the biodiesel produced complied with the ASTM standards which establish this C. vulgaris strain as a potential source for biodiesel production.

KEYWORDS:

• Growth
• light
• lipid
• microalgae
• renewable energy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.