Surface Observation and Magnetism of Oil-Extracted Botryococcus braunii Residues before and after Carbonization

Abstract

Microalgae is a promising next-generational energy. In this research, we focus on oil-extracted Botryococcus braunii residues collected by adding polysilicato-iron (PSI) as a flocculant followed by carbonization under argon atmosphere. We conducted carbonization at various temperatures as a first attempt to reveal the fundamental properties of the carbonization process of the microbes. The carbons thus obtained by heat treatment at 900 °C present a unique magnetic behavior due to reduced magnetite (Fe3O4) inclusion, which is produced from polysilicato iron (Fe2O3) during the heating process. Experimental results suggest that this carbonic material can be applied as a heavy metal-capturing carbon and magnetic porous substrate catalyst. The effective use of the waste may open a new avenue for an energy-microbiology-materials system.

Keywords

• Botryococcus braunii residues
• carbonization
• magnetism
• porous structure
• superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)
• 57Fe Mössbauer
• polysilicato-iron
• Fe3O4
• flocculant