With the continuous global attention to green protein and sustainable nutrition sources, seaweed and microalgae are rapidly emerging as new sources of plant protein in many fields such as food, health products, feed, and bioenergy. In its extraction and purification process, disc centrifuge is becoming an indispensable core equipment. With its efficient solid-liquid separation ability, gentle treatment method, and excellent adaptability, it has become the “star equipment” of many algae protein extraction companies.
Industrial background of microalgae and seaweed protein extraction
Protein value of seaweed and microalgae resources
Seaweed and microalgae are rich in nutrients such as protein, carotenoids, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and are widely used in:
Health food
Feed additives
Biomedicine
Cosmetic raw materials
Microalgae (such as Chlorella, Spirulina, Schizochytrium, etc.) have a protein content of up to 40%~70%, which is a new source of plant protein with great potential.
Technical difficulties faced in extraction
The cell wall of microalgae is tough and usually needs to be broken and the cytoplasm released before separation. However, seaweed often contains a large amount of sticky polysaccharides, which increases the difficulty of separation. Common challenges include:
The suspension has high concentration and high viscosity, which is easy to clog the pipeline
The target component has low concentration and needs high-efficiency enrichment
It is easy to form an emulsified state after breaking the wall, which affects the oil/water/solid three-phase separation
Traditional methods are inefficient and have high labor costs
These problems put higher requirements on separation equipment.
Disc centrifuge: key equipment for algae protein extraction
Brief description of working principle
Disc centrifuge is a continuous centrifugal device that uses a high-speed rotating disc stack structure to accelerate the sedimentation rate of solid particles in liquid. Its structural features include:
High-speed spindle (3000~8000rpm)
Multi-stage disc stacking (enhanced separation area)
Automatic discharge/intermittent discharge of solids
Small footprint, large production capacity
In the algae protein extraction process, disc centrifuge is mainly used for:
Preliminary removal of cell fragments and impurities in algae liquid
Efficient clarification of protein precipitate
Liquid concentration in the intermediate stage
Practical application cases of disc centrifuge in algae separation
Case 1: Spirulina protein concentration and extraction project
Customer background: A food technology company, processing 1,000 tons of spirulina powder per year.
Process flow:
Spirulina→wall breaking→protein extraction→disc centrifugal separation→clear liquid protein further purification
Equipment configuration:
Processing capacity: 2.5 m³/h
Effluent turbidity: <1000 NTU
Automatic slag discharge frequency: once every 30 minutes
Case 2: Residue recovery after polysaccharide extraction from red algae
Goal: A large number of tiny algae cells remain in the liquid after extraction, which needs to be concentrated and reused.
Equipment used: Small disc centrifuge, as a pre-concentration process
Benefit analysis:
Secondary recovery rate reaches 82%
Save about 12% of raw material costs
In the era of rapid development of seaweed and microalgae resources, disc centrifuges are becoming one of the industry’s recognized core equipment with their high efficiency, reliability, strong automation and wide adaptability. It not only improves production efficiency, but also greatly improves the purity and added value of protein products.
As a professional disc centrifuge manufacturer, we continue to develop new technologies to serve diverse industries such as biological extraction, food processing, medicine, and environmental protection, helping global customers seize the initiative in the green industry wave. If you have any needs for algae protein extraction or disc centrifuge equipment, please feel free to contact us, we will customize a cost-effective solution for you!
