Researchers Evaluate Azolla as Biofuel Feedstock
September 21, 2016http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12155-015-9665-3
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The aquatic fern Azolla is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing plant that can be a potential source of biomass for biofuel production. The team of Paul Brouwer from Utrecht University in the Netherlands analyzed the lipid fraction from Azolla filiculoides to test its suitability for biodiesel production.
The harvested biomass contained 7.92 % crude lipids (dw). Drying conditions did not affect lipid yield or composition, indicating that conditions can be freely chosen to optimize energy use. The crude lipid fraction consisted of 41% fatty acids that were converted into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), a biofuel intermediate, upon saponification in methanol.
From the lipid composition, it is predicted that high-quality biodiesel can be produced from the Azolla lipid fraction but requires an additional fractionation step to decrease unwanted compounds. The unwanted compounds separated in the fractionation step may then also provide a valuable secondary product.
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