Supercritical microalgae conversion to biofuel and value‐added components (oxygenates, hydrocarbons, and aromatics): A catalyst characterization study

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the use of SrO/TiO2 nano‐catalysts in the one‐pot production of valuable products (such as fatty acid methyl esters, oxygenates, hydrocarbons, and aromatics) from Chlorella vulgaris microalgae through a supercritical process. The research focused on examining the impact of the factors, the SrO to TiO2 ratio, preparation method, and calcination temperature on the catalytic performance. Two calcination temperatures (600°C and 850°C), two Sr:Ti molar ratios (1 and 2), and two catalyst preparation methods (photochemical and impregnation) were considered. The catalysts were characterized using Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, x‐ray crystallography, and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller techniques. The evaluation of catalyst performance primarily focused on the production of value‐added products, particularly fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). The results indicated that the catalyst prepared using the photochemical method with a Sr:Ti molar ratio of 2 and calcined at 850°C exhibited superior performance in terms of FAMEs and oxygenates production. It was demonstrated that the catalyst prepared using the photochemical method with higher Sr:Ti ratio had better performances in the production of biodiesel.