Algoliner is revolutionizing microalgae cultivation with the help of PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds and a mobile factory

• Algoliner develops pioneering technology for fast, cost-efficient and resource-saving construction of photobioreactors
• Tubes made from PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds in a mobile factory reduce the environmental footprint of algae reactors
• Brand PMMA’s transparency allows highly efficient production of sustainable biomass

Microalgae are considered one of the most important raw materials of the future. Their cultivation makes it possible to generate enormous quantities of biomass, without competing for agricultural space. The German company Algoliner has developed a groundbreaking new technology for building algae reactors – in a fast, cost-efficient and resource-saving process in which tubes made from PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds are extruded in a mobile factory on a truck, enormously reducing the environmental footprint of algae cultivation. As such, Röhm’s brand polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is contributing to climate-friendly technologies.

“PLEXIGLAS® impresses with its extraordinary transparency, which is crucial for algae growth. In addition, it is a sustainable material with a very long lifespan, and can even be fully recycled at the end of its useful life,” says Hans Väth, founder and Managing Partner at Algoliner.

PLEXIGLAS® 7H especially for extrusion

The tubes are extruded from PLEXIGLAS® 7H. With its excellent melt viscosity and heat deflection temperature, this molding compound offers a balanced profile of properties for the extrusion of tubes and technical profiles. Like all transparent PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds, it offers unparalleled light transmission of up to 92 percent and, thanks to its excellent UV and weather resistance, it retains its transparency even outdoors without yellowing over time.

“The Algoliner concept is an excellent example of how ingenious product design and the choice of long-lasting PLEXIGLAS® materials can make the final product significantly more sustainable – sustainable by design,” says Sven Schröbel, Head of Global Sustainability Management at Röhm GmbH’s Molding Compounds business unit.