Biodiesel Algae Disadvantages

Biodiesel algae disadvantages are listed in the following paragraphs. But do the following questions ever cross your mind: Does biodiesel from algae really exist? What are biodiesel algae? What are the characteristics of this type of biodiesel? What are the biodiesel algae disadvantages?

Let us try to answer the questions one at a time.

First, yes, it is. There are really existing biodiesel algae. These are also named as oilgae.
Second, biodiesel algae or oilgae are considered third generation biofuel. According to Dictionary.com, biofuel is derived from biomass; furthermore it is generated from renewable resources.

In addition to this, biofuel is said to charge a very low price when it comes to production cost.
In contrast to other traditional methods of producing biofuels, this kind of biofuel produces more energy for every acre weigh against the land required for production.

For the third and fourth question, let me present the disadvantages of biodiesel algae. Today’s scientists are conducting research and studies on the possibility to create fuels to be used in the following everyday tasks: producing biobutanol, vegetable oil, and bioethanol. This said alga culture is also seeking to produce other kinds of biofuel. In addition to this, most studies show and most scientists prove that the strategy and experimentation used in these studies are indeed suitable to produce other variety of biofuels. In addition to this, some experts say that the production of biofuel will be the most practical way to sustain the problem of gasoline shortage for the automotive world.

As well as biodiesel, biofuels are also considered environment friendly. It is used as the best means to decrease the gas from green house productions. In this way, biodiesel may also be used to help in the world’s problem on global warming. Biodiesel will not only be an environment friendly fuel but also a user friendly fuel.
In contrast to this idea, according to the findings of Paul Cotzen (a Nobel Laureate), one of the biodiesel algae disadvantages is that it contributes more to the dilemma of global warming.

In fact, in Paul Cotzen’s experiments, this biodiesel in rapeseed and in corn, produce more nitrous oxide that gradually contribute to the global warming that the world is facing today.

This said investigation is proved by other scientists who say that compared to the emissions from fossil fuels, biodiesel is more an element to the global warming.

In addition to these disadvantages, studies show that the production of biodiesel algae incarcerates more carbon dioxide and dinitrogen oxide in the atmosphere. This occurrence will also lead to global warming. This event usually occurs more or less forty percent in a normal weather and eighty percent in sunlit weather. Furthermore, production of algae results to oil production of about thousands of biodiesel for every year.
According to one scientist, biodiesel can be sustaining the sources for edible oil. This means that it will not only affect the weather through aggravating global warming.

I hope that this article enlightened you about the biodiesel algae disadvantages.

Making Biodiesel from Algae

In this ever-expanding world, everything is being consumed at a very fast rate. Natural Resources are being depleted at a very fast rate and mankind is thinking of many ways to produce artificial energy. And one answer that has come up is Biodiesel. What is actually biodiesel? In a layman’s language Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel consisting of long chain alkyl (methyl, propyl or ethyl) esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat (tallow), which can be used (alone, or blended with conventional petrodiesel) in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles.

Though there are many methods available and being researched upon but one of the common methods of producing it is by Algae. Making biodeisel with algae is quite a tedious process/ One must know what are actually Algae. Algae are some of the most robust organisms on earth, able to grow in a wide range of conditions without any problems. Algae are usually found in damp places or bodies of water and thus are common in terrestrial as well as aquatic environments.  Terrestrial algae are usually rather inconspicuous and far more common in moist, tropical regions than dry ones, because algae lack vascular tissues and other adaption’s to live on land. So cultivation of algae is an important part in this process.

Algae cultivation though a very easy process but cultivation of specific strains of algae for Biodiesel would however a bit more difficult, as they can require high maintenance and could get easily contaminated by undesirable species. And contamination would lead to improper production of biodiesel.

First algal oil has to be extracted from algae and then biodiesel has to produced from that Algal oil. There's no doubt, algae biodiesel is probably the most theoretical and experimental aspect of biodiesel. It is also very costly. There are mainly three methods of oil extraction from Algae –

•    Expeller/Press - When algae is dried it retains its oil content, which then can be "pressed" out with an oil press. Many commercial manufacturers of vegetable oil use a combination of mechanical pressing and Chemical Solvents in extracting oil.
•    Hexane solvent oil extraction - Algal oil can be extracted using chemicals. .Benzene and ether have been used, but a popular chemical for solvent extraction is hexane. The downside to using solvents for oil extraction are the inherent dangers involved in working with the chemicals. Benzene is classified as a carcinogen. Carcinogen is a chemical which harms humans.
•    Supercritical Fluid Extraction - This can extract almost 100% of the oils all by itself. This method however needs special equipment for containment and pressure. In this method , CO2 is liquefied under pressure and heated to the point that it has the properties of both a liquid and gas. This liquefied fluid then acts as the solvent in extracting the oil.

Now transesterification of  algal oil is  done.It is normally done with ethanol and sodium ethanolate serving as the catalyst.
Ethanol is reacted with the algal oil to produce biodiesel & glycerol. The end products of this reaction are hence biodiesel, sodium ethanolate and glycerol.

The end mixture is then separated using Ether and salt water, which is added to the mixture and mixed well. After sometime, the entire mixture would have separated into two layers, with the bottom layer containing a mixture of ether and biodiesel. Biodiesel is in turn separated from ether by a vaporizer under a high vacuum. As the ether vaporizes first, the biodiesel will remain.
Thus the process of making biodiesel from algae is now over and is ready for use.

Biodiesel from Algae Video

Just watch a great video about algae biodiesel from CNET. This is great to our future, if we could make biodiesel from Algae. Please share your opinion about this video after you watch it.

Algae Biodiesel


"The technology website CNET.com mentioned Algae Biodiesel in a short segment. Considering that Algae grows quickly, is carbon neutral and the fuel (biodiesel) being produced will run in the most efficient internal combusion engines we currently use, this could well be the best alternative to petroleum."

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