Process for integrated production of ethanol and seaweed sap from kappaphycus alverezii

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for integrated production of ethanol and seaweed biofertilizer from fresh red seaweed, Kappaphycus alvarezii. Specifically, the present invention describes a process for the production of ethanol, as a byproduct, from Kappaphycus alvarezii. The process includes crushing the fresh weeds to release the sap, a proved biofertilizer, and recovering the residual carrageenan rich biomass, hydrolysing the biomass using dilute acid at elevated temperature, neutralizing the hydrolysate by using inexpensive calcium hydroxide and removing the insoluble salts through filtration or centrifugation, desalting soluble salts from the hydrolysate by electrodialysis, enriching with nitrogen source, inoculating with yeast and fermenting it to form a fermented broth containing ethanol and separating ethanol from the fermented broth by distillation and using residual hydrolysate, generated CaSO4 and reject obtained from electrodialysis as manure.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to an integrated process for the production of ethanol and seaweed sap from Kappaphycus alvarezii. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for producing ethanol from phycocolloid rich red seaweed, Kappaphycus alvarezii. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Ethanol nowadays is an important product for its high demand in the fuel market. Its market grew from less than a billion liters in 1975 to more than 39 billion liters in 2006 and is expected to reach 100 billion liters in 2015 (Licht 2006). Global ethanol production is more than doubled between 2000 and 2005, while production of biodiesel, starting from a much smaller base, expanded nearly fourfold. By contrast, world's oil production is increased by only 7 percent during the same period. Less than 4% of ethanol is produced synthetically from petroleum, while the rest is produced by fermentation from bioresources. Ethanol is now produced from two major groups of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a way to make ethanol from algae, which can also produce fertilizer. This helps to create a sustainable system where the waste from the ethanol production is recycled and used to grow more algae.

Problems solved by technology

A major criticism often faced against large-scale fuel production using food crop's, is that it could divert agricultural production away from food crops, especially in developing countries.

The fact is that energy-crop programmes compete with food crops with respect to use of agricultural land, water, fertilizers, skilled labour etc. which leads to increase in food price.

The drawback of the patent is utilizing the residual material only for one product i.e. k-carrageenan preparation.

The drawback of this paper is use of plant monosaccharide as substrates for ethanol production.

The drawbacks are a) use of microalgae b) starch, accumulated in algal cells, was a substrate for ethanol production c) fermentation process was undertaken under dark condition.

Finally, they concluded that intracellular ethanol production is simpler and energy intensive than the conventional ethanol fermentation process.

The drawbacks of this paper are a) use of microalgae b) use of extracted microalgal component, starch, as a substrate c) used intracellular starch fermentation under dark and anaerobic conditions.

They have achieved the maximum ethanol productivity of 450 micromole / g-dry wt at 30° C. The drawback of this paper is a) use of microalgae having starch as carbohydrate c) fermentation process was undertaken in dark under anaerobic condition for ethanol production.

The drawback of this paper is a) use of microalga having higher starch content, b) used self-fermentation method under dark condition.

The drawback of this work is used brown seaweed.

The drawback of this paper a) sacrificing whole plant of brown alga, Laminaria hyperborea and b) use of seaweed extract consisted of mannitol and laminaran as a sugar substrate.

The drawback of this patent is a) use of micro algae, particularly genetically modified Synechococcus which requires precise expertise and continuous monitoring.

The drawbacks of the patent are a) use of mixed algal culture as they used natural micro algal blooms b) used algal component, starch as a substrate.

However, maximum ethanol production (0.49%) was obtained with the sample treated with enzyme at pH 6 at 23° C. The drawback of the paper is a) sacrificing whole seaweed b) generation of high salt content in the hydrolyzate during pretreatment due to pH adjustment which hinders ethanol production c) ethanol is not produced as an additional product.

According to this, cultivating algae for biodiesel production is more difficult as they require specific environment to be highly productive and can get easily contaminated by undesirable species.

The drawback of this paper is a) use of Sargassum horneri for ethanol production.

However, the greatest problem lies with researchers in identifying suitable seaweed species from which generation of high amount of biofuels is possible.

According to him, algae do not have the negative image of terrestrial biomass resources, which are said to be responsible for higher food prices, impacting on water use and destruction of rain forests.

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