Cascading microalgae biorefinery: Fast pyrolysis of Dunaliella tertiolecta lipid extracted-residue

The present study aims to valorise, through fast pyrolysis, the solid residue of microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta, after extraction of added-value compounds (beta-carotene, phytosterols and fatty acids), which are included in the total lipid fraction, following the "Biorefinery Approach". This study targets biooil and/or char as pyrolysis end-products. At pyrolysis temperature of 600 degrees C, biooil yield was maximized (45.13 wt.%), while char reached 29.34 wt.%. Biooil quality was assessed and its potential use as biofuel discussed. In addition, assessment of char composition and properties, either as fertilizer or sorbent for soil remediation, was also discussed. Finally, microalga D. tertiolecta can produce high amounts of lipids which have a high potential application and also renewable fuel/soil amendment by fast pyrolysis of its residue. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.