CO2 BIOSEQUESTRATION FROM SIMULATED INDUSTRIAL FLUE GAS USING CHLORELLA SP. AND ITS CONVERSION INTO RENEWABLE HYDROCARBONS THROUGH CATALYTIC PYROLYSIS

Chlorella sp. microalgae was grown in a vertical photobioreactor with BG-11 medium for 10 days under natural photoperiod and temperature. Aeration with simulated industrial flue gas (10% CO2) was used. The catalytic pyrolysis was performed using a palygorskite catalyst to improve bio-oil quality by reducing oxygen content and promoting aromatization. The oxygenated content of pyrolytic catalytic condensable vapors reduced from 40 % to 19%, meanwhile the aromatics content increased from 23% to 32%, compared to flash pyrolysis. The resulting bio-oil, rich in aromatics, has potential applications chemical industry as a precursor to produce green gasoline and green kerosene. Developing alternative low-cost and environmentally friendly catalysts is indeed crucial. These catalysts should match or exceed the efficiency of conventional ones while being more affordable, thus making catalytic pyrolysis a viable choice for large-scale bio-oil production from microalgae cultivated with simulated flue gas aiming at CO2 biosequestration.