Prof. Stefano Ettore Turri - INSTM PoliMi

1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
1
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
WP 4 – Valorisation of Algae Biomass
Third Stakeholder Meeting
24th - 25th September 2019
Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Stefano Turri
Politecnico di Milano

2. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
2
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Valorisation of algae biomass
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

3. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
3
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Different routes for valorisation
• Coatings, adhesives and platform chemicals (Funditec)
• Biofillers for biopolymer and ceramic compounds (INSTM/Polimi)
• Feed for piglets (Produmix)
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

4. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
4
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Coatings and adhesives
(Funditec)
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

5. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
5
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Microalgae
Lipids
Proteins
COATINGS &
ADHESIVES
EDIBLE
COATINGS
Extracted
Fractions
Water-based
dispersions/mass
Green Chemical
transformation
Formulation
Application on Fruits
COATINGS, ADHESIVES & EDIBLE COATINGS FROM MICROALGAE BIOMASS
FROM? HOW? WHAT? FOR?
Application on Wood
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

6. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
6
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Triglycerides
PUFAs
Epoxide
Polyhydroxy
ester
Carbonate
H-NIPUs
Acrylic
dispersions
Polyurethane
dispersions
Acrylate
R
Maleic derivative
R
COATINGS & ADHESIVES
Lipids
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

7. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
7
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Composition and curing
B
B C • Flexible and resistant films
• 100% bio-based Films and Foams
COATINGS & ADHESIVES
Hybrid Non Isocyanates Polyurethanes (H-NIPU) based on carbonate-amine chemistry
A
H-NIPU Foams
H-NIPU Films
H-NIPU adhesives (particle board)
* Linseed oil is the bio-reference
Film A Film B Film C
Carbonated (%)
100% 100% 50% algae/
linseed oil* linseed oil* 50% linseed oil
Amine EDA Cardolite Cardolite
Catalyst Yes No No
Curing < 120ºC < 120ºC < 120ºC
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

8. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
8
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
COATINGS & ADHESIVES
Acrylic dispersions – Particle Boards
Composition and characterisation
Particle board
Bond strength
• Stable water dispersions.
• Internal Bond Strengths (IBS) meet the requirements for
particle board products (> 0.4 MPa).
• Curing Temperatures and times still need improvement to
meet industrial processing needs.
Component %
Acrilated oil 40-45
crosslinker + emulgent 5-10
Water 45-50
Characterisation
pH 3.5-4
Viscosity (mPa·s) 12-20
Solid content (%) 50-55
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

9. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
9
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
COATINGS & ADHESIVES
Cationic PUR dispersions – for coatings
OH OHPolyol Isocyanate NCONCON
OHOH
CH3
+ +
N
-
methyl diethanol amine
• Good adhesion properties
on wood, glass and
aluminium.
• Antibacterial and antifungal
properties.
Analysis according to ISO 22196
• Bacteria: Escherichia coli ATC 8739 (gram
+) and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC
6538P (gram -).
• In control polymer there is no effect over
bacterial growing.
• In both, PUD9 or PUD11, there is effect
over bacterial growing. More in S.
aureus than in E. coli.
• The effect is higher in PUD9 than PUD11.
PUD11/E.coli
PUD9/E. coli
PUD9/S. aureus
PUD11/S. aureus
Taber Test according
to UNE 48250:92
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Control polymer
presents slightly
higher abrasion
resistance than
m-algae based
PUD9 and PUD1

10. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
10
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
EDIBLE COATINGS
• Microalgae oils and Spirulina protein extract (10 to 20%) incorporated into an edible
polysaccharide coating shows good barrier properties to water vapor and oxygen barrier
properties, respectively.
• Microalgae-based coatings present good firmness and reduce slightly the superficial scald.
• Validation at semi-industrial scale treating 1 Tons of fresh harvested ‘Conference’ pears,
stored in a cold room (0ºC and 95%RH) for 5 months, showing a food preservation performance
compared to the commercial alternative.
• Positive consumer evaluation regarding the general acceptability and external appearance of
pears treated with the SALTGAE prototypes.
Edible film Coated fresh harvested ‘Conference’ pears
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

11. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
11
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Biofillers
(INSTM/PoliMi)
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

12. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
12
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Objectives
• Microalgal biomass and their residues to be used as fillers for:
– Biocomposites with wheat gluten (thermoplastics) and natural rubber
(elastomers)
– Ceramic slurries for 3D printing fabrication
• Validation of laboratory results and preliminary scale-up
results
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

13. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
13
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Main results with biopolymer compounds
• Microalgal biofiller increases the mechanical properties of plasticized
wheat gluten
• Better results with the whole biomass, protein containing biofiller (not
residues)
• Barrier properties are unaffected
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

14. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
14
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Results with wheat gluten – mechanical tests (spirulina biomass)
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Significant increse of both elastic modulus and tensile strength with microalgal biofiller

15. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
15
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Results with wheat gluten – hydrophylicity
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
No significant effect on surface hydrophylicity and barrier properties

16. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
16
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Results with natural rubber
• Microalgae show a minor effect on mechanical behaviour of
NR compounds (inert filler)
• No significant change in vulcanisation parameters
• Easy processability and scale-up
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

17. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
17
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Main results with geopolymer clays
• Microalgae improve the rheological behaviour that allows a good 3D printing
process (plasticizer)
• Microalgae do not reduce the compressive strength of the ceramic materials
• Mechanical behaviour is even slightly improved after thermal treatment
• Successful scale-up of the 3D deposition process
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

18. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
18
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Geopolymerization chemistry

19. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
19
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Modification of standard FDM printers (syringe extruders)
Successful realization of self-standing 3D-objects with Z-dimension (height) > 50 cm
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

20. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
20
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Results with geopolymer clays - rheology
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Presence of microalgae (1-5% w/w) reduces the yield stress of the formulation
Easier flow and deposition, less defects
Yield stress
Spirulina 1-5% w

21. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
21
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Results with geopolymer clays – mechanical tests
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
The presence of microalgae biofiller improves mechanical behavior after
thermal treatment (compressive strength > 40 MPa)
Microalgae effect
Lignin effect
(control)

22. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
22
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Microalgae promote formation of more
homogeneous materials
(smaller voids, lower porosity)

23. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
23
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Animal feed
(Produmix)
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

24. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
24
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Task objective:
• antibiotics reduction
• substitution of fish meal
Treatments:
• Control: commercial prestarter and starter diets
• Fish meal: control + 2,5% Fishmeal
• Algae: control + 2,5% Fishmeal + 2,5% Spirulina
Animals:
480 piglets of 5 kg average
BW, distributed in 16 pens
of 10 piglets, per treatment.
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass

25. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
25
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Control
2,5%Spirulina-
2.5% Fish meal
5% Fish meal Sig.
Prestarter weight (Kg)
5.24 4.79 4.74 0.612
Starter weight (Kg)
9.42 9.84 9.87 0.033
Growing weight (Kg)
27.20 28.31 28.16 0.035
Table 1. Individual weight evolution in Prestarter, Starter and
Global periods, under different levels of spirulina and fish meal
inclusion.

26. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
26
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Table 2. Performance parameters in Prestarter, Starter and Global
periods, under different levels of spirulina and fish meal inclusion.
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
Control 2,5%Spirulina-
2.5% Fish meal
5% Fish meal Sig.
ADG. Prestarter (g) 298.76 361.02 366.20 0.171
ADFI Prestarter (g) 367.48 398.80 474.83 0.149
FCR Prestarter 1.23 1.10 1.30 0.046
ADG. Starter (g) 634.84 659.64 653.21 0.625
ADFI Starter (g) 901.47 923.50 902.98 0.982
FCR Starter 1.42 1.40 1.38 0.576
ADG. Global (g) 522.81 560.10 557.54 0.062
ADFI Global (g) 723.47 748.60 760.26 0.081
FCR Global 1.38 1.34 1.36 0.047

27. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
27
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Table 3. Level of gastrointestinal disorders during the first week
and last day of Prestarter phase and it relation with the pen
homogeneity and mortality during that phase.
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
PRESTARTER
DIARRHEA
(qualitative score)
Control
2,5%Spirulina-
2.5% Fish meal
5% Fish meal Sig.
Day 1 0.500 1.000 0.667 0.007
Day 2 0.667 0.722 0.833 0.525
Day 3 0.611 0.444 0.944 0.125
Day 4 0.611 0.667 0.667 0.970
Day 5 0.722 0.611 0.889 0.045
Day 6 0.722 0.833 0.833 0.773
Week average 0.639 0.713 0.806 0.356
Diarrhea index 0.611 0.500 0.778 0.034
Homogeneity 3.500 3.500 3.444 0.942
Mortality % 0.167 0.278 0.278 0.726

28. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
28
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Table 4. Level of gastrointestinal disorders during the first week
and last day of Starter phase and it relation with the pen
homogeneity and mortality during that phase.
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
STARTER
DIARRHEA
(qualitative score)
Control
2,5%Spirulina-
2.5% Fish meal
5% Fish meal
Sig.
Day 1 1.056 1.278 1.167 0.593
Day 2 0.944 1.111 1.111 0.614
Day 3 0.889 1.222 0.722 0.084
Day 4 0.611 0.944 0.611 0.264
Day 5 0.722 0.389 0.667 0.211
Day 6 0.722 0.722 0.611 0.788
Week average 0.824 0.944 0.815 0.359
Diarrhea index 0.778 1.000 0.944 0.607
Homogeneity % 3.278 2.611 2.611 0.129

29. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Innovation Action programme WATER under grant agreement no 689785
H2020-Water-
1b-2015
CONFIDENTIAL
29
Stakeholder Meeting
24-25-September-2019 Slovenia
www.saltgae.eu
Conclusions
WP 4 Valorisationof AlgaeBiomass
• Materials from microalgae
– Acrylates and non-isocyanate polyurethanes for wood potentially
obtainable from lipid fraction
– Edible coatings for fruit from microalgae oils and protein-rich fractions
with improved barrier properties
– Functional biofillers for thermoplastic protein compounds (gluten) and
ceramic pastes; inert biofiller for rubber compounds
• Microalgae as animal feed
– Partial substitution of fish meal in animal feed is feasible, with
beneficial health effects in the prestarter diet of piglets