Evaluation of biodiesel production from microalgae collected from fresh water habitat
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Algae are the fastest growing in the world. About 50% of their weight is oil. This lipid can be used to make
biodiesel for cars, trucks and airplanes. Algae will someday be competitive as a source of biofuel. Continuous use of petroleum
sourced fuels is now widely recognized as unsustainable because of depleting supplies and the contribution of these fuels to the
accumulation of carbondioxide. Methodology: In this study, we tried to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of algal oil. A
naturally occurring algal sample was collected from Kommaghatta lake, Bangalore. Algae were identified as Spirogyra sps. Oil
was extracted from the dried algal samples using chloroform: methanol as a solvent system. Fatty acid analysis was done in Indian
Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore. Physico-chemical properties of algal oil such as density, lipid content, pH were
estimated. Results: Gas chromatographic analysis revealed higher percentage of methyl palmitate, methyl oleate, methyl linoleate.
The physico-chemical properties of algal oil meet the properties of the standard fuel. Conclusion: It is concluded that the algal oil
can be used as a potential biofuel.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
License Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Authors who publish with International Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences (IJFAS) retain copyright of their articles and grant the journal the right of first publication.
This license allows others to share, use, and build upon the work—commercially or non-commercially—as long as appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source, and any changes are indicated.
The journal encourages open access and supports the free exchange of knowledge while ensuring proper attribution of original work.
