2020 journal article

Loofah-based microalgae and cyanobacteria biocomposites for intensifying carbon dioxide capture

JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION, 42.

By: P. In-na *, A. Umar *, A. Wallace n, M. Flickinger n , G. Caldwell * & J. Lee *

author keywords: Algae oil; Biocoating; Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS); Carbon capture and storage; Intensified carbon capture and utilisation; Latex immobilisation
TL;DR: Analysis of the kinetics of CO2 absorbtion and SEM imaging suggests that the cells were embedded within a polymer film that covered the scaffold, and shows promise to intensify biological CO2 capture and possible application in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
14. Life Below Water (OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: January 11, 2021

Microalgae and cyanobacteria have been evaluated for biological CO2 capture from flue gases for over 40 years; however, commercial open ponds and photobioreactors suffer many drawbacks including a slow rate of CO2 capture and high water usage. We evaluate an intensified 3D cell immobilisation approach with a small water demand, by coating latex binders onto defined surface area (947 m2 m−3) and void space (81.78 ± 4.41 %) loofah sponge scaffolds, forming porous 3D biocomposites with three microalgae species; freshwater Chlorella vulgaris, marine Dunaliella salina and Nannochloropsis oculata, and two strains of freshwater Synechococcus elongatus cyanobacteria. Binder toxicity and adhesion screening protocols were established ahead of eight weeks semi-batch and six weeks continuous CO2 fixation trials. Acrylic and polyurethane binders were effective for microalgae, and bio-based (Replebin®) binders were suited for cyanobacteria. The highest average net CO2 fixation rates from each species were 0.17 ± 0.01, 0.25 ± 0.01, 0.12 ± 0.01, 0.68 ± 0.18 and 0.93 ± 0.30 g CO2 g-1biomass d-1 for C. vulgaris, D. salina, N. oculata, S. elongatus PCC 7942 and S. elongatus CCAP 1479/1A respectively. This equates to predicted CO2 capture from scaled systems of up to 340.11 ± 110 tCO2 t-1biomass yr-1. Analysis of the kinetics of CO2 absorbtion and SEM imaging suggests that the cells were embedded within a polymer film that covered the scaffold. Biocomposites continuously fed with 5% CO2 had high lipid contents approaching 70 % dry weight. This biocomposite approach shows promise to intensify biological CO2 capture and possible application in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).