The overall objective of this research is to develop substrates for attached algal growth from polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA composites containing lignin and/or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Algae has the potential for significant economic impact in many applications including biofuels, environmental remediation, and nutritional supplements. Algal cultivation on substrates promises to increase product yield and process efficiency. However, limited fundamental scientific understanding of algal attachment and growth is one of the major obstacles to designing high yield substrates that are species-selective. In this research, the surface energies of the renewable biomaterial substrates and various algal species were determined through sessile drop contact angle measurements. Substrate-algae thermodynamic interactions were modeled using the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (xDLVO) model to determine which algae-substrate pairs had the greatest theoretical thermodynamic attraction. The model results were then compared to experimental findings on algae-substrate attachment. The results demonstrate the effect of chemical composition on surface energy of the substrates, which ultimately results in different interaction energies between the algae and the substrates. In ongoing research, the effects of surface roughness and thermodynamic modeling of three-dimensional substrates are being explored.

Thermodynamics of algal growth substrates made from renewable macromolecules

255th National Meeting (2018)

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