Comparison of pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Growth studies on the recovered hydrothermal aqueous phase

Abstract The production of bio-oil by pyrolysis with a high heating rate (500 K s −1 ) and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was compared. HTL led to bio-oil yield decreasing from 67% mass fraction at 220 °C to 59% mass fraction at 310 °C whereas the bio-oil yield increased from 53% mass fraction at 400 °C to 60% mass fraction at 550 °C for pyrolysis. Energy ratios (energy produced in the form of bio-oil divided by the energy content of the initial microalgae) between 66% at 220 °C and 90% at 310 °C in HTL were obtained whereas it was in the range 73–83% at 400–550 °C for pyrolysis. The Higher Heating Value of the HTL bio-oil was increasing with the temperature while it was constant for pyrolysis. Microalgae cultivation in aqueous phase produced by HTL was also investigated and showed promising results.