Florida: Key West Sargassum and USDA
We collected sargassum in Key West, pressed it on a Vincent CP-4 at Vincent Corporation in Tampa, and delivered samples to USDA ARS in Fort Pierce for further testing.
Partners: Vincent Corporation; Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory (USDA).
Overview. SSG collected sargassum and processed it using screw press technology at Vincent Corporation in Tampa. Samples collected during the trial were used to estimate process yields and delivered to the USDA facility in Fort Pierce, where SSG gave a seminar titled “Chemicals of Seaweed: Past, Present, and Future.” Work continues between SSG and USDA to study the value-added possibilities of sargassum in Florida.
Seaweed processing: June 1–3, Vincent Corporation, Tampa
On June 1, Rob Johnston (Head of Engineering) collected sargassum in Key West to evaluate with screw press processing. Vincent Corporation hosted SSG for a demonstration and tour of its plant near Ybor City, where welders, machinists and engineers build presses, shredders and screens used in hundreds of industrial applications.
A small test press, the CP-4, was set up in the factory to pilot the processing of sargassum into liquid and solid fractions. Typical throughput for this size is 50 kg per hour. The sargassum was converted into solids (3.5 kg) and liquid (6.5 kg) under the tested conditions.
| Sample | Moisture % | Total solids % | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sargassum — start | 80 | 20 | 11 |
| Dewatered biomass | 62 | 38 | 3.5 |
| Pressed liquid | 89 | 11 | 6.5 |
This is the raw bench data as first published. In our sales and technical materials we report the trial conservatively: about 60% of incoming weight removed as liquid and dewatered biomass at about 35% solids.
Moisture was determined by drying samples in triplicate overnight at 80 °C; total solids are shown for reference (100 − moisture). Pressing removed a considerable share of the weight as liquid, and the resulting solids, shredded finer, took up about 20% of the original volume. The benefits: liquid and fine-solid streams suitable for storage or further processing, easier material handling, and continuous throughput.
Facility visit: June 18, USDA, Fort Pierce
The Agricultural Research Service – U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory hosted SSG for a site visit. Samples from the June 2 trial were delivered to support product testing and validation. Dr. Spencer Serin gave a one-hour seminar, “Chemicals of Seaweed: Past, Present, and Future — A Focus on Important Agriculture and Industrial Applications of Marine Biomass,” followed by discussion of SSG's work processing seaweeds, primarily sargassum, for Florida industries.
Key takeaways
- The Vincent screw press is an exceptional machine for primary processing of sargassum, capable of producing more liquid than solid under certain operating conditions.
- There is strong interest in Florida in solutions to the sargassum problem, and more chemical testing and process development remain to be done.