Project R-8849
Title
Interference of algal organic matter (AOM) with microalgae flocculation: influence of AOM properties on floc chararteristics and the consequences for harvesting microalgal biomass using sedimentation and flotation (Research)
Abstract
Microalgae are an attractive new source of biomass for the production of food, feed and fuel commodities, but efficient harvesting of these unicellular aquatic organisms remains a major challenge. A low-cost and energy-efficient way to separate microalgae from their culture medium is to use flocculation, followed by sedimentation or flotation. A drawback of this approach is that algal organic matter (AOM) excreted in the medium can change the floc characteristics and inhibit flocculation altogether. In order to improve the efficiency of sedimentation and flotation-based separation, we aim to establish how AOM impacts floc characteristics.
Period of project
01 February 2018 - 30 September 2019