Year: 2018 | Month: February | Volume 11 | Issue 1
Evaluation of Fatty Acid Profile and Biodiesel Characterization Obtained from Novel Algae Scenedesmus vacuolatus X56104
Abstract:
Microalgae are the rapidly growing photosynthetic microorganisms and can be used as a source of renewable biofuels. The present investigation focuses on the perspectives regarding the use of newly isolated microalgae as a better biomass and lipids producer. The algal strain was isolated from local Godavari River and identified as Scenedesmus vacuolatus X56104 on the basis of 18s rRNA sequence. Microalgae were cultivated under controlled environment in the laboratory. Early stationary grown microalgae revealed 2.3 mg/ml biomass. Algae oil was extracted using soxhlet apparatus and found to be 26.7% of total biomass. Physiochemical properties of oil were recorded as density (0.85gm/cc), viscosity (4.2 mm2), moisture (1.8%), acid value%(0.5 mg of KOH/gm), flash point (130°C), calorific value (9110Kcal/Kg) and Cetane number (54). The fatty acid profile was evaluated by GCMS and showed Palmitic acid (5.81%), stearic acid (1.86%), Oleic acid (65.83%), Linoleic acid (20.10%), Linolenic acid (4.66%), Arachidic acid (0.52%) and Eicosenoic acid (1.22%). The total fatty acids were subjected to lipase based trans esterification so as to obtained FAME and finally the biodiesel. The biodiesel was characterized using FTIR and Mass spectroscopy. Spectroscopic data were compared with spectra of standard diesel which revealed 98% similarity. The values of physicochemical properties of biodiesel were compared with the standard diesel showing 80-90% similarities. The resulting experimental data proved that the microalgae Scenedesmus vacuolatus X56104 oil could be a potential source of biodiesel and therefore this alga can be used as a source of renewable biofuels.
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