Date: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Time: 11:45 - 12:45 CEST
Session code 5DO.6
Hydrothermal liquefaction and downstream processing
Catalytic Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Microalagae: A Micro- and Pilot-Scale Analysis
Short Introductive summary
In hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), catalysts can be used to improve biocrude oil yield and quality. However, assessing their performances can be time consuming and expensive. This study aims at presenting the results of an innovative technique based on Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) for the preliminary evaluation of catalysts performances at the micro-scale and their correlation with the results obtained at the pilot-scale using a continuous reactor. Mixtures of Chlorella Vulgaris and alkaline carbonates (K2CO3 and Na2CO3) were investigated. DSC results showed the catalytic activity of both K2CO3 and Na2CO3, which anticipated the main reaction compared to pure Chlorella, while inhibiting the secondary ones likely due to the neutralization of organic acids and prevention of char formation. This aspect was also supported by the results of the HTL pilot-tests, where the collected samples showed the presence of char only in the non-catalytic test.
Presenter
Francesco PATUZZI
Free University of Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering
Presenter's biography
Francesco Patuzzi received his PhD in 2014 and is presently associate professor at the Faculty of Engineering at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). His research activities are mainly related to thermochemical conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomasses, biorefineries and biofuels.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
A. Cascioli, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, ITALY
S. Fasoli, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, ITALY
A. Aref, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, ITALY
F. Patuzzi, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, ITALY
M. Baratieri, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, ITALY
Session reference: 5DO.6.2