Alpha Creation EnterpriseBiofuel Research Journal2292-87825120180301Synthesis of solketalacetin as a green fuel additive via ketalization of monoacetin with acetone using silica benzyl sulfonic acid as catalyst7537585809510.18331/BRJ2018.5.1.3ENHassan S. GhaziaskarDepartment of Chemistry, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.Yadollah M. GorjiDepartment of Chemistry, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.Journal Article20171221Silica benzyl sulfonic acid (SBSA) was prepared as a catalyst for reacting monoacetin with acetone to synthesize solketalacetin as a green fuel additive. To synthesize SBSA, commercially available silica gel was functionalized with benzyl alcohol in the presence of sulfuric acid as catalyst and was then sulfonated with chlorosulfonic acid. The catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and TGA. The catalytic activity of SBSA was compared with those of Amberlyst 36 and Purolite PD 206 as two sulfonated acidic catalysts, in a continuous flow system. The effect of different operation conditions such as acetone to monoacetin molar ratio, reaction temperature, and feed flow rate were investigated. Increasing acetone to monoacetin molar ratio increased the solketalacetin yield for the three catalysts but SBSA demonstrated the highest solketalacetin yield. Solketalacetin yield was reduced with temperature increase for all the catalysts and the maximum solketalacetin yields were recorded with Amberlyst 36 and SBSA catalyst at 20 °C and 40 °C, respectively. The catalytic activity was examined by keeping the catalysts on–stream for 25 h while the reusability tests were performed in four consecutive runs and showed that SBSA was stable up to 25 h and had the highest stability in 4 runs.Alpha Creation EnterpriseBiofuel Research Journal2292-87825120180301Current state and future prospects for liquid biofuels in Canada7597795809610.18331/BRJ2018.5.1.4ENJennifer LittlejohnsNational Research Council Canada, Low Carbon Fuels and Combustion, 1200 Montreal Road Building M-9, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0R6.Lars RehmannUniversity of Western Ontario, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Thompson Engineering Building, Room TEB 459, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B9.0000-0003-3463-6405Rachel MurdyLallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits, 1815 Satellite Boulevard, Building 200, Duluth, GA 30097, USA.Aung OoWestern Sarnia-Lambton Research Park, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.Stuart NeillNational Research Council Canada, Low Carbon Fuels and Combustion, 1200 Montreal Road Building M-9, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0R6.Journal Article20171202The necessity to find renewable and low carbon fuels as a critical component of the strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada has caused the biofuels industry to rapidly expand. However, there is a higher capacity for the use of biofuels to replace conventional petroleum fuels in Canada than outlined by cur rent regulations and programs. A wide range of feedstocks, processes, and applications for liquid biofuels can be found in Canada at varying degrees of progress. To reach the full potential of the biofuels industry in Canada, it is important to understand the broad landscape of the biofuels industry and areas of promise. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of liquid biofuels in Canada. This includes national feedstock availability and conversion processes to produce liquid biofuels. Both biochemical and thermochemical processes over a wide range of technology readiness levels, from R&D to commercialization, will be included. Current industry, government, and/or academic support for these production activities will b e referenced where applicable. The transportation applications of commercially available liquid biofuels in Canada will be reviewed. Finally, comments on future prospects to boost environmental and economic competitiveness of the biofuels industry in Canada will be provided.Alpha Creation EnterpriseBiofuel Research Journal2292-87825120180301Microalgal biomass pretreatment for bioethanol production: a review7807915809810.18331/BRJ2018.5.1.5ENJesús Velazquez-LucioBiorefinery Group, Food Research Department, Faculty of Chemistry Sciences, Autonomous University of Coahuila, 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Cluster of Bioalcohols, Mexican Centre for Innovation in Bioenergy (Cemie-Bio), Mexico.Rosa M. Rodríguez-JassoBiorefinery Group, Food Research Department, Faculty of Chemistry Sciences, Autonomous University of Coahuila, 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Cluster of Bioalcohols, Mexican Centre for Innovation in Bioenergy (Cemie-Bio), Mexico.Luciane M. CollaLaboratory of Fermentations, Graduate Program in Food Science and Technology, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Aide Sáenz-GalindoDepartment of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry Sciences, Autonomous University of Coahuila, 25280 Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Daniela E. Cervantes-CisnerosBiorefinery Group, Food Research Department, Faculty of Chemistry Sciences, Autonomous University of Coahuila, 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Cluster of Bioalcohols, Mexican Centre for Innovation in Bioenergy (Cemie-Bio), Mexico.Cristóbal N. AguilarBiorefinery Group, Food Research Department, Faculty of Chemistry Sciences, Autonomous University of Coahuila, 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Bruno D. FernandesCEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.Héctor A. RuizBiorefinery Group, Food Research Department, Faculty of Chemistry Sciences, Autonomous University of Coahuila, 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.Cluster of Bioalcohols, Mexican Centre for Innovation in Bioenergy (Cemie-Bio), Mexico.0000-0003-0917-0324Journal Article20170428Biofuels derived from microalgae biomass have received a great deal of attention owing to their high potentials as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Microalgae have a high capacity of CO2 fixation and depending on their growth conditions, they can accumulate different quantities of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Microalgal biomass can, therefore, represent a rich source of fermentable sugars for third generation bioethanol production. The utilization of microalgal carbohydrates for bioethanol production follows three main stages: i) pretreatment, ii) saccharification, and iii) fermentation. One of the most important stages is the pretreatment, which is carried out to increase the accessibility to intracellular sugars, and thus plays an important role in improving the overall efficiency of the bioethanol production process. Diverse types of pretreatments are currently used including chemical, thermal, mechanical, biological, and their combinations, which can promote cell disruption, facilitate extraction, and result in the modification the structure of carbohydrates as well as the production of fermentable sugars. In this review, the different pretreatments used on microalgae biomass for bioethanol production are presented and discussed. Moreover, the methods used for starch and total carbohydrates quantification in microalgae biomass are also briefly presented and compared.Alpha Creation EnterpriseBiofuel Research Journal2292-87825120180301Bacterial laminarinase for application in ethanol production from brown algae Sargassum sp. using halotolerant yeast7927975809910.18331/BRJ2018.5.1.6ENC.M.T. PerezGraduate School, University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines.Hiroshima University, 739-0046 Hiroshima Prefecture, Higashihirosima, Kagamiyama, 1 Chome- 3- 2, Japan.I.G. PajaresNational Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines.V.A. AlcantaraNational Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines.J.F. SimbahanNational Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines.Institute of Biology College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.Journal Article20180120Macroalgae are known to have many industrial applications, with current research targeting the potential of macroalgal biomass as feedstock in production of biofuels. Marine algal biomass is rich in storage carbohydrates, laminarin, and cellulose, which can be converted to fermentable sugars using appropriate enzymes, for fermentation to ethanol. This study focused on ethanol production from macroalgae using only enzymatic treatment for saccharification of algal biomass. This involved the isolation and identification of cellulase and laminarinase-producing microorganisms from mangrove area in the Philippines and production of partially purified enzymes for algal biomass saccharification. Results showed that the partially purified laminarinase produced from Bacillus sp. was capable of hydrolyzing the laminarin present in the macroalage. Fermentation of the algal hydrolysate yielded only small amount of ethanol due to lack of other pre-treatment methods, however, it was observed that higher ethanol was produced in saccharification treatments using a combination of cellulase and laminarinase which implies a possible synergistic effect between the two enzymes.