i-SUP2010: Abstract submission form
April 18-21, 2010
Supercritical CO2 extraction of lipids and other valuable
products from microalgae
Danthurebandara M.1,Goiris K.2, De Cooman L.2, Muylaert K. and 1 Foubert I.1
1 K.U.Leuven Campus Kortrijk, Research unit Aquatic Biology, E. Sabbelaan 53, B-8500 Kortrijk, Belgium,
Imogen.Foubert@kuleuven-kortrijk.be, Telephone: (+32) 56 24 6173, Fax: (+32) 56 24 6999
2 KaHo St.-Lieven, Association K.U.Leuven, Laboratory of Enzyme, Fermentation and Brewing Technology, Technology
Campus, Gebroeders Desmetstraat 1, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
In the quest for sustainable commercial production of bioproducts such as lipids, pigments and
proteins and for pollution mitigation and CO2 abatement, microalgae are increasingly receiving an
attention due to their high growth rate, high CO2 sequestration and their lack of requirement for
fertile soil surface compared to conventional crops.
Because microalgal biomass consists of individual cells with rigid cell walls, extraction of useful
components from the biomass is often problematic. Extraction and processing with supercritical
fluids (SCF) is increasingly gaining importance in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical
industries and can be a solution for these specific problems. Carbon dioxide is the most common
supercritical fluid due to its moderate critical temperature (31.3 oC) and pressure (72.9 atm) and
hence particularly desirable for the extraction of thermally labile natural products. Since the
extraction conditions are relatively mild, the residual algal biomass can still be maximally
valorized. Because CO2 is gaseous at room temperature, it yields a solvent free extract.
Moreover, carbon dioxide is a non toxic, non flammable, odorless, tasteless and inexpensive gas.
The goal of this work is to investigate the possibility of using supercritical
carbon dioxide
extraction to obtain the lipids and other valuable products from microalgae. The supercritical fluid
extractions are carried out at different temperatures, pressures as well as with different extraction
times and carbon dioxide flow rates. Both the lipid yield and composition are considered in order
to optimize the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and to compare its efficiency with the
conventional extraction methods.
poster presentation