Abstract
The brown algae Fucus vesiculosus, Laminaria saccharina and Alaria esculenta were subjected to hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) for 15min at 350°C in batch microautoclaves. Further optimization was carried out in view of optimizing the biocrude oil yield, varying the temperature from 330 to 370°C. The maximum conversion to biocrude was 29.4±1.1wt.% at 360°C for A. esculenta. The reaction pathways for macroalgae HTL and its capability for recycling nutrients were also investigated. The aqueous phase showed potential for a partial recovery of the nitrogen (21.2–28.6wt.%) and sulfur (25.8–34.6wt.%) from the initial biomass, and an almost total recovery of potassium and sodium. Results indicate that HTL as a sole conversion method to produce biofuel as single product is not recommended for macroalgae due to the low conversion to biocrude oil. At such conditions, its use as post-treatment for the remaining biomass after extracting valuable compounds (especially from the carbohydrate fraction) might be more interesting, and is suggested as the future direction for research.
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