Green-filamentous macroalgae Chaetomorpha cf. gracilis from Cuban wetlands as a feedstock to produce alternative fuel: A physicochemical characterization

The excessive blooming of green filamentous macroalgae is a global problem due to their unwanted presence in freshwater, lakes, nursery garden and stagnant waters. An attractive solution is to use macroalgae as a biofuel feedstock. In this work, the macroalgae studied was the Chaetomorpha cf. gracilis. The macroalgae oil extraction was accomplished using Soxhlet method obtaining a yield of 1.85%. The gas chromatography analysis showed higher unsaturated fatty acids (56.14%) compared to saturated fatty acids (35.18%), highlighting the content of oleic acid, 27.89%. The kinematic viscosity and density were 0.826 mm(2)/s and 699.6 kg/m(3), respectively. The heating value, crystallization temperature and elemental composition showed higher values than other algae oils. Nevertheless, the nitrogen content was similar to L.digitata macroalgae. The analysis conducted on the net energy ratio for the oil extraction process showed that the Chaetomorpha macroalgae oil might represent an attractive alternative for liquid biofuel production.