Comparison of Botryococcus braunii and Neochloris vigensis Biofilm Formation on Vertical Oriented Surfaces

Abstract

Biofilm technology is a cost-effective process for microalgae biomass production. Materials can be successfully used as microalgae biomass adhesion carriers. The productivity of two different microalgal strains, Neochloris vigensis, and Botryococcus braunii, were compared in an opened pond system on eleven different surfaces (cork, sponge towel, denim, plexiglass, stainless steel, silicone rubber, glass, geotextile, and three different patterned plexiglass). Biomass attachment on the various materials was monitored for 16 days of cultivation. Various parameters were tested during cultivation, such as pH, cell concentration, chl-a, NO3-, PO43-, lipids, total proteins, and carbohydrates. Contact angle and surface energy were used to determine the surface characteristics. Plexiglass resulted in the best performance in the case of B.braunii (28.3 g/m2), while in the case of N.vigensis, sponge towel exhibited the highest productivity (17.8 g/m2). Based on the results, the algal strain affects the attachment, and hydrophilic materials can be as efficient as hydrophobic ones.