Mayala, TS, Ngavouka, MDN, Douma, DH et al. (5 more authors) (2022) Characterisation of Congolese Aquatic Biomass and Their Potential as a Source of Bioenergy. Biomass, 2 (1). pp. 1-13. ISSN 2673-8783
Abstract
This study assesses the bioenergy potential of two types of aquatic biomass found in the Republic of Congo: the green macroalgae Ulva lactuca (UL) and Ledermanniella schlechteri (LS). Their combustion behaviour was assessed using elemental and biochemical analysis, TGA, bomb calorimetry and metal analysis. Their anaerobic digestion behaviour was determined using biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests. The average HHV for LS is 14.1 MJ kg−1, whereas UL is lower (10.5 MJ kg−1). Both biomasses have high ash contents and would be problematic during thermal conversion due to unfavourable ash behaviour. Biochemical analysis indicated high levels of carbohydrate and protein and low levels of lipids and lignin. Although the lipid profile is desirable for biodiesel production, the levels are too low for feasible extraction. High levels of carbohydrates and protein make both biomasses suitable for anaerobic digestion. BMP tests showed that LS and UL have an average of 262 and 161 mL CH4 gVS−1, respectively. The biodegradability (BI) of LS and UL had an average value of 76.5% and 43.5%, respectively. The analysis indicated that these aquatic biomasses are unsuitable for thermal conversion and lipid extraction; however, conversion through anaerobic digestion is promising
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | macroalgae; aquatic biomass; Ledermanniella schlechteri; Ulva lactuca; characterisation; bioenergy; thermochemical; anaerobic digestion |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > Ecology & Global Change (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Royal Society AQ150063 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 11 Jan 2022 15:56 |
Last Modified: | 26 Jul 2022 12:43 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | MDPI |
Identification Number: | 10.3390/biomass2010001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:182251 |