Journal article
Membrane fouling control for sustainable microalgal biodiesel production: A review
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol.161, Art. 112335
2022
Abstract
Microalgae have the potential to be an excellent source of sustainable and renewable biofuel. However, different issues surrounding their economic viability and upscale application need to be resolved. Microalgal dewatering requires substantial energy to concentrate the highly dilute microalgal culture and is considered a major bottleneck that limits industrial mass production. Compared to traditional microalgal dewatering processes, membrane technology offers many advantages such as lower energy consumption, simple operation, reduced chemical usage, and scaling-up capability. Membranes can also be used in biodiesel separation and purification, which is a very important step to achieve a finished biodiesel product that complies with the international standards and specifications (e.g., free glycerol limit of 0.02 mass%). The use of membrane filtration in the biodiesel refining process is a promising technology to reduce the water usage and wastewater disposal required in the conventional water-washing process and to avoid non-recyclable solvents used in the dry-washing process. However, the main challenge in membrane application is fouling, which has adverse effects such as flux reduction and increased cleaning frequency. Hence, the development of environment-friendly, low-cost and anti-fouling membranes is paramount to reduce the costs and energy consumption to feasible levels for both microalgal dewatering and biodiesel refining processes. This review discusses the challenges that hinder the economical production of microalgal biofuels at commercial-scale and identifies strategies for mitigating membrane-fouling in order to optimize the economics of algal biomass production and downstream processing.
Details
- Title
- Membrane fouling control for sustainable microalgal biodiesel production: A review
- Authors/Creators
- H. Ennaceri (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityK. Fischer (Author/Creator) - Leibniz Institute of Surface EngineeringA. Schulze (Author/Creator) - Leibniz Institute of Surface EngineeringN.R. Moheimani (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol.161, Art. 112335
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Identifiers
- 991005540058107891
- Copyright
- © 2022 Elsevier Ltd.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Algae R&D Centre; Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems; Harry Butler Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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Source: InCites
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- Collaboration types
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 2 Chemistry
- 2.241 Membrane Science
- 2.241.270 Nanofiltration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Energy & Fuels
- Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
- ESI research areas
- Engineering