Harvesting microalgal biomass and lipid extraction for potential biofuel production: A review

Renewable feedstock for biofuel production is a worldwide concern. Microalgae as the third-generation feedstock puts the problem to rest as many researchers have been proving that biofuel; especially biodiesel, can be produced by various microalgae species. The crucial challenges are microalgal biomass harvesting and lipid extraction methods This paper reviews various microalgal biomass harvesting methods, such as centrifugation, sedimentation, flocculation, flotation, and filtration. Other than that, the development of harvesting technology is also discussed, namely, flocculation using magnetic microparticles and biopolymer as well as electrical approach. Overall, this review offers general ideas to improve these harvesting methods and the production of renewable energy for future development.