Flocculation as a low-cost method for harvesting microalgae for bulk biomass production
In: Trends in Biotechnology. Elsevier: Amsterdam. ISSN 0167-7799; e-ISSN 1879-3096, more
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| Author keywords |
microalgae; biomass; biofuels; flocculation; coagulation; separation; harvesting |
| Abstract |
The global demand for biomass for food, feed, biofuels, and chemical production is expected to increase in the coming decades. Microalgae are a promising new source of biomass that may complement agricultural crops. Production of microalgae has so far been limited to high-value applications. In order to realize large-scale production of microalgae biomass for low-value applications, new low-cost technologies are needed to produce and process microalgae. A major challenge lies in the harvesting of the microalgae, which requires the separation of a low amount of biomass consisting of small individual cells from a large volume of culture medium. Flocculation is seen as a promising low-cost harvesting method. Here, we overview the challenges and possible solutions for flocculating microalgae. |
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