The
ever increasing demand for sustainable energy and chemicals
in association with the declining reserve for fossil fuel, are stimulating
the search for alternative feedstocks and processes. In this line,
the catalytic upgrading of nonedible oils into high-yield commodity
chemicals, including saturates and aromatics, has been studied. Yeast
single cell oil (SCO) was converted into benzene, toluene, and xylenes
(BTX) over a Ga−γ-alumina catalyst, at 450 °C. The
yield of aromatics was found to improve with the incorporation of
Ga. The physiochemical properties of the catalyst were characterized
using different analytical techniques and reaction parameters were
optimized using design-of-experiment (DOE). It was observed that the
gallium promotes the dehydrogenation activity and results in an overall
increase in aromatic yield. Maximum 89.4% conversion of SCO, with
aromatic selectivity up to 77.7%, was achieved.
Yeast lipid as single
cell oil (SCO) is evaluated as an alternative
renewable source of vegetable oils for a biolubricant formulation.
The Rhodotorula mucilaginosa IIPL32 yeast strain
is cultivated on lignocellulosic pentosans derived from sugarcane
bagasse to produce the SCO. The chemical composition and distribution
of variable fatty acids in the yeast SCO are characterized by NMR,
FTIR, and GC × GC analyses. The high viscosity index and a low
pour point of yeast SCO owing to the favorable composition of saturated
and unsaturated fatty acids promise its potential as a renewable and
environmentally friendly lube base oil. The yeast SCO as lube base
oil significantly reduced the coefficient of friction (72%) and wear
(24%) compared to those of conventional mineral lube base oil (SN
150). The fatty acids in the yeast SCO formed a good quality tribo-chemical
thin film on the engineering surfaces, which not only reduced the
friction but also protected the contact interfaces against wear. This
study demonstrates that yeast SCO being renewable, biodegradable,
and nontoxic, provides favorable physicochemical and tribophysical
properties for good quality lubricant formulation and it can be a
good alternative to the conventional mineral lube oil-based lubricants.
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