Pyrolysis characteristics and kinetics of microalgal Aurantiochytrium sp. KRS101

Microalgae have recently attracted tremendous attention as a possible feedstock for biofuel production. In this study, the pyrolysis characteristics and kinetics of Aurantiochytrium sp. KRS101, a kind of heterotrophic oleaginous microalgae, were investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis and pyrolysis in a micro-tubing reactor. Most biochemical components of the microalgae (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) were decomposed between 150 and 600 °C at heating rates of 5–20 °C/min. Derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) curves were deconvoluted to more fully understand the separate decompositions of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Experimental results of pyrolysis in the micro-tubing reactor were consistent with the predictions of the proposed lumped kinetic model, and the kinetic rate constants indicated that the predominant reaction pathway under the investigated pyrolysis conditions was from biomass to bio-oil rather than from biomass to gas.