Title: Optimisation of process parameters for enhanced biobutanol production from Sargassum wightii hydrolysate

Authors: Kashyap Kumar Dubey; Ashwani K. Dhingra; Shelly Rana

Addresses: Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India ' Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India ' Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India

Abstract: Due to continuous increase in fuel prices, scientists and researchers have shifted their attention towards the use of bio-fuels i.e. the renewable sources of energy. Now days, the third generation algae-based liquid bio-fuels have gained utmost interest among the researchers. Butanol is an algae-based sustainable fuel with different advantages over other alternative biofuels having its low vapour pressure and higher energy density. Different types of macro-algae have been considered in the present study with 55-65% sugars in dry matter of macro-algae. In the present work, brown seaweed (Sargassum wightii) has been considered for bio-butanol production. Subsequently, the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation has also been carried out using pretreated macroalgae biomass with Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum (ATCC 27022). Different pretreated parameters (acid concentration, temperature, incubation time) for substrate and fermentation parameters (algal hydrolysate concentration, inoculum size and initial pH) for improved biobutanol yield from C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum have been optimised using design of experiments (DoE). The optimised pretreatment conditions (2N H₂SO₄, temperature 120°C and incubation time 30 min.) and fermentation conditions (70 g/L algal hydrolysate, 15% inoculum size at pH 5.2) have been predicted. Also, the confirmatory experiment with the error of 5-6% has been validated with butanol production of ∼15 g/L having 48% theoretical yield.

Keywords: ABE fermentation; acetone butanol ethanol; biofuels; design of experiments; DoE; algae; optimisation; process parameters; biobutanol production; Sargassum wightii hydrolysate; vapour pressure; energy density; brown seaweed; macroalgae biomass; acid concentration; temperature; incubation time; algal hydrolysate concentration; inoculum size; initial pH.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETP.2015.073806

International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2015 Vol.11 No.3, pp.303 - 311

Received: 09 Apr 2015
Accepted: 09 Jul 2015
Published online: 22 Dec 2015 *

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