The 14th American Institute of Chemical Engineers, AIChE, Annual General Meeting

Atlanta Marriott Marquis & Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta GA, USA November 16 – 21 2014

Studies on the Production of Biofuel (Bioethanol) from

Spirogyra Biomass

Owofu M. O. & Engr. Dr. M. N. Idris*; MAIChE, AMIChemE, MNSE

Energy & Process Refining Technology Group Department of Chemical Engineering University of Maiduguri

Borno State, Nigeria

Tel: +234 (0) 705 877 1096

Email: idrismn@unimaid.edu.ng, muhinu@hotmail.co.uk

ABSTRACT

Utilization of biofuel technology is no longer in doubt as interest in developing renewable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels because it has helped as the world crude oil reserves decreasing and energy prices continually increasing. Bioethanol is a renewable, colourless, less toxic, and readily biodegradable form of fuel from biological sources; that can be used for heat, electricity, and fuel. In this research study, an alternative feedstock known as algae was used instead of traditional agro-based raw materials for the production of bioethanol, as its more beneficial raw material and does not compete with food, fodder, and is available abundantly in fresh water as well as marine eco-system and more importantly it is also renewable. The algae specifically Spirogyra was used for the production of bioethanol, since it is known to possess a very simple cell wall made up of cellulose and starch that can be converted to ethanol by fermentation process.
A comparative study was also conducted using chemically pre-treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and un-treated Spirogyra biomass. The spirogyra biomass was subjected to saccharification process by the fungi Aspergillus niger for hydrolysis, for six days and then followed by the fermentation process by using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for another six days. The comparative study experimented and the results recorded showed that high yield of ethanol was obtained from un-treated Spirogyra biomass when compared to chemically pre- treated biomass.

Keywords: Bioethanol, biomass, spirogyra, fermentation, chemical pre-treatment

Correspondence about this article: Please for all correspondence on this article, kindly contact the principal author (Engr. Dr. M N Idris) as stated above. Thank you.