Lipid Profiling and Acid-Assisted Refining of Crude Algae Oil Derived from Nannochloropsis oculata

Crude algae oil from Nannochloropsis oculata has a low fatty matter content and numerous impurities, limiting its use in biofuel production. This thesis develops an acid-assisted refining process that increases the fatty matter content in algae oil from 19 wt% to 54 wt% and achieves a fatty matter recovery rate of 134 % relative to the initial algae oil. Advanced analysis confirms that the treatment removes impurities and converts complex polar lipids into free fatty acids. This work provides a practical and scalable method to upgrade microalgae oil quality, supporting its use as a sustainable feedstock for biofuel and other value-added applications.