Lipids extraction from wet and unbroken microalgae chlorella vulgaris using subcritical water

Lipids extraction from wet and unbroken microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) using subcritical water with aid of co-solvents has been investigated. Lipids extraction from wet and unbroken microalgae has a crucial role in order to eliminate dewatering and drying steps. Subcritical water is able to extract lipids from feedstock with high water content. This work was conducted to study several factors affecting in subcritical water extraction (SWE) from wet and unbroken microalgae. In this study, effect of co-solvent types (without co-solvent, chloroform, methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane) under subcritical water (microalgae = 5g (dry weight), moisture content= 94.12%, T= 160°C, P = 80 bar, t= 30 min), extraction time (15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 3 h, and 5 h), and temperature (160o C, 180o C and 200o C) on yield of lipids were investigated orderly. Yield of lipids obtained without co-solvent (water polarity index = 10.2) and with co-solvents of methanol (PI=5.1), ethanol (PI=5.2), chloroform (PI=4.1), ethyl acetate (PI=4.4), and n-hexane (PI=0.1) were 38.73%, 26.47%, 26.12%, 51.93%, 53.40%, and 25.59%, respectively compared to the yield of lipids extracted using Bligh and Dyer method. Ethyl acetate is solvent with moderate PI, therefore can extract more lipids that is also have moderate polarity. Ethyl acetate shows a good performance to extract lipids from wet and unbroken microalgae because ethyl acetate can extract broader range of lipids including neutral and polar lipids. This study also found that increasing of extraction time and temperature to extract lipids in subcritical water condition can increase yield of lipids.