Benefication of glycerol from algae and vegetable oil

• Main Author: Mafu, Lubabalo Rowan
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 2011
• Subjects: Glycerin > Biotechnology; Biodiesel fuels; Renewable natural resources
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011503

This research has been directed at furthering the utilization of crude glycerol oversupply formed as a by-product from the biodiesel manufacturing process. Phosphorylation of hydroxyl groups is a synthetic route that was investigated for the conversion of glycerol into a glycerol-phosphate (GPE) ester mixture. The process investigated for the synthesis of a GPE product was based on phosphorylation reaction procedures that were previously reported in the literature. The reaction to convert glycerol into a GPE mixture has been thoroughly investigated and the hydrogen chloride gas formed as a reaction by-product has been optimized. The chemical properties of GPE have been studied and discussed together with a mass balance of the overall glycerol phosphorylation process. The phosphate groups contained in polyhydric phosphate molecules have a potential chelating effect on cations. There are several cations that may be chelated by the phosphate ester group of polyhydric phosphate molecules. These cations include ammonium (NH4+), Potassium (K+), Calcium (Ca2+) etc, which are essential as nutrients in plant fertilizer formulations. This research has investigated the use of a GPE synthesized from glycerol in the laboratory and the use thereof as a phosphorus containing base in the formulation and evaluation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) containing fertilizer solution, Ammonium-Potassium-Glycerol-Phosphate (APGP) fertilizer solution. The APGP fertilizer solution has further been evaluated by growing two week old tomato seedlings under controlled conditions. The performance of the APGP fertiliser solution has been evaluated using design of experiments by comparison with traditionally used liquidAmmonium-Potassium-Phosphate inorganic fertilizer. This fertilizer solution has been prepared in similar manner as APGP formulation with the difference between them being the source of phosphorus. The results have been evaluated using statistic analysis where a significant difference between the evaluated fertilizer formulations was found. The comparative study of these formulations was monitored by the observed plant weights. A blank treatment was used as a control to determine if a significant difference among these formulations was observed. Anova single factor and t-Test methods (Two-Samples assumed of equal variances) are statistical models that were applied to interpret the observed experimental data with respect to wet and dry weighed masses of tomato seedlings. These methods indicated a confirmed conclusion that there was a significant difference between APPO4 solution and APGP solution. The observed data have shown that the APPO4 solution provided significantly better fertigation performance than APGP solution. Consequently, further investigation has been conducted to determine the cause of the poorer performance of the APGP solution. The further study of the APGP fertilizer solution included nutrient stability testing, biological analysis and other observed physical changes of the APGP solution over time. Biological results have revealed the presence of a Fusarium fungus species that has grown and is suspended in APGP fertilizer solution. This microbe species has been observed to play a vital role in consuming fertilizer nutrients. In addition, the observed abnormal plant growth and nutrient decomposition of the APGP formulation has been proposed to be mostly a result of the pathogenicity of the fusarium fungi species that was suspended in the APGP solution. Further work has been proposed in which the effect of such biological contamination is eliminated through adequate sterilization procedures and the APGP formulation re-evaluated.