Dr. J Hestekin

 

Dr. Jaime Hestekin

The extraction of oils and carbohydrates from algae and their ultimate production into both biodiesel and butanol

  Dr. Hestekin’s research includes the extraction of oils and carbohydrates from algae and their ultimate production into both biodiesel and butanol.  Projects in this area include enhancement of butyric acid fermentation with electrodeionization for continuous product separation, direct conversion of algae into butanol, the production of biodiesel from lipids using continuous supercritical methanol esterifications, and the extraction of carbohydrates and lipids from algae using mechanical disruption coupled with sonication.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Dr. C Hestekin

 

Dr. Christa Hestekin

Evaluation of algal properties for biofuel production

Biodiesel use in the US is projected to be at least 7.3 million gallons per year in 2020.  Algae is an ideal feedstock due to its rapid growth and ability to grow on land that cannot support crops.  Though minor adjustments in growing conditions, it may be possible to alter the dominant natural algal species to improve its biofuel yield.  Depending on algae species, the potential amount of fuel can be greatly increased by favoring a type high in oil that could be extracted as biodiesel or high in carbohydrates and lipids for the production of a biofuel, such as bioethanol.  The Hestekin lab is interested in how growth, processing and storage conditions of algae affect the amount of biofuel (bioethanol, biobutanol, or biodiesel) that can be produced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. R Wickramasinghe

 

Dr. Ranil Wickramasinghe

The development of catalytic membranes for biomass hydrolysis by grafting catalytic groups to the membrane surface