Method and apparatus using an active ionic liquid for algae biofuel harvest and extraction
First Claim
1. A method for extracting material from algae cells comprising lysing the cell walls of the algae cells by contacting the algae cells to a first liquid selected from a group consisting of a pure ionic liquid and an active ionic liquid, wherein the algae cells are in the form of a water suspension.
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Abstract
The invention relates to use of an active ionic liquid to dissolve algae cell walls. The ionic liquid is used to, in an energy efficient manner, dissolve and/or lyse an algae cell walls, which releases algae constituents used in the creation of energy, fuel, and/or cosmetic components. The ionic liquids include ionic salts having multiple charge centers, low, very low, and ultra low melting point ionic liquids, and combinations of ionic liquids. An algae treatment system is described, which processes wet algae in a lysing reactor, separates out algae constituent products, and optionally recovers the ionic liquid in an energy efficient manner.
108 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A method for extracting material from algae cells comprising lysing the cell walls of the algae cells by contacting the algae cells to a first liquid selected from a group consisting of a pure ionic liquid and an active ionic liquid, wherein the algae cells are in the form of a water suspension.
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10. A method for processing algae cells comprising,
introducing a water suspension of algae cells into a lysing reactor containing a first liquid selected from a group consisting of a pure ionic liquid and an active ionic liquid, lysing the cell walls of the algae cells by contacting the algae cells to the first liquid, forming within the reactor a lysed solution containing the first liquid, water and algae cell-derived materials including triacylglycerides, free fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins, and/or cellulose, and separating the lysed solution into at least two layers including an upper layer and a lower layer.
Specification