Abstract
To reduce the risk of microalgae biomass and environmental contamination, a natural cationic lipid droplet emulsion has been constructed for harvesting microalgae. Using three different microalgae strains (Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus quadricauda and Spirulina platensis), the present work studied the influence of lipid droplet dosage, chitosan concentration, pH on harvesting efficiency, and then the flotation behavior was analyzed by zeta potentials, floc size distribution, algal organic matter component, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and microscopic observation. The XDLVO theory was used to explain the attachment behavior during the flotation process. The experimental results showed that the maximum harvesting efficiency for two green microalgae strains was over 95% at pH 7, while the optimal dosage and ratio of lipid droplet and chitosan were depended on the microalgae species. The maximum harvesting efficiency for Spirulina platensis was less than 70% since the high salinity of growth medium weakened the bridging and netting ability of chitosan. The mechanism of capturing microalgae by the ballasting agents was mainly physical electrostatic attraction, bridging and netting. In addition, the changes of microalgae components before and after harvesting were less than 5%, indicating this method would not affect the downstream application of microalgae biomass.
Published Version
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