Status : Verified
| Personal Name | Escorial, Jose Gabriel H. |
|---|---|
| Resource Title | Production of Levulinic Acid and Hydrochar by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Carbonization of Philippine Red Seaweed (Eucheuma denticulatum and Betaphycus gelatinus) |
| Date Issued | 27 June 2025 |
| Abstract | Local red macroalgae in the Philippines, Betaphycus gelatinus and Eucheuma denticulatum, provide an alternative end-use towards the valorization of biomass as a renewable energy source. A previously explored method, microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), has been applied to foreign seaweed species to recover hydrochar as a solid fuel alongside process liquor containing levulinic acid (LA), a high-value platform chemical. In this study, the HTC method was applied to the aforementioned species. A design of experiments (DOE) was carried out to assess the effect of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time, and their parameter interactions on the yield of hydrochar and LA, as well as the hydrochar heating value (HV). Ultimate, proximate, FTIR, and HV analyses were performed on the hydrochar products. UV-Vis spectroscopy was performed on the process liquor to obtain the LA yield. Constructing DOE interaction plots revealed that the individual effects of H2SO4 concentration and time increase the LA yield but decrease the hydrochar yield, with an increasing magnitude. For both species, hydrochar samples produced at 200 °C, for 30 minutes, in the absence of H2SO4 had the highest carbon content (> 50 wt%) and least moisture (< 6.5 wt%), thus having the highest HV comparable to bituminous coal or peat, with the highest HV (10,057 BTU/lb) for B. gelatinus overall, but the highest energy densification (ED) of 3.68 for E. denticulatum. It was found through the combined severity factor (CSF) that yields had weak dependence on process severity, with no significant linear relationship to ED. Some recommendations to improve the study include increasing the number of experimental conditions, broadening the temperature range, and carrying out separation on the process liquor, with more studies made on the Philippine context to assess the feasibility of hydrochar and LA production through this method. |
| Degree Course | Master of Science in Chemical Engineering |
| Language | English |
| Keyword | macroalgae valorization; hydrothermal carbonization; levulinic acid; hydrochar; energy densification |
| Material Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Preliminary Pages
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Category : I - Has patentable or registrable invention of creation.
Access Permission : Limited Access