A mathematical model of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) living miniemulsion polymerisation based on pseudo‐bulk kinetics was developed and validated successfully with experimental data. In this work, in case of large particles synthesis by RAFT miniemulsion polymerisation greater than cross‐over size, the developed mathematical model in pseudo‐bulk regime reasonably matches with the experimental results and predicts the key polymer properties such as average molecular weight and MWD, average particle size and PSD. Consequently, optimal strategy of semi‐batch operation was developed using monomer and RAFT agent feed rate as process variables with specified initial conditions.
The spectral composition of light can affect the growth and biochemical composition of photosynthetic microalgae. This study examined the use of light filtering through a solution of soluble colored additives, a cost-effective method to alter the light spectrum, on the growth and lipid production of an oleaginous microalga, Nannochloropsis gaditana (N. gaditana). Cells were photoautotrophically cultivated under a white light emitting diode (LED) alone (control) or under a white LED that passed through a solution of red and yellow color additive (4:1 ratio) that blocked light below 600 nm. The specific growth rate was significantly greater under filtered light than white light (0.2672 d-1 vs. 0.1930 d-1). Growth under filtered light also increased the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield by 22.4% and FAME productivity by 80.0%, relative to the white light control. In addition, the content of saturated fatty acids was greater under filtered light, so the biodiesel products had better stability. These results show that passing white light through an inexpensive color filter can simultaneously enhance cellular growth and lipid productivity of N. gaditana. This approach of optimizing the light spectrum may be applicable to other species of microalgae.
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