Valorization of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Byproducts
Summary
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) converts wet biomass into bio-crude under high temperature and pressure, generating an aqueous byproduct rich in organics, nutrients and inorganics. Rather than viewing this process water as waste, emerging strategies aim to recover energy, hydrogen, platform chemicals and nutrients. Physico-chemical treatments such as wet oxidation or electro-oxidation can mineralise refractory compounds while releasing heat or hydrogen. Catalytic aqueous phase reforming and supercritical water gasification have demonstrated direct hydrogen generation from dissolved organics, potentially supplying in situ hydrogen for biocrude upgrading. Biological routes, including anaerobic digestion, target methane production and nutrient recycling. Nutrient recovery techniques such as struvite precipitation address phosphorus and ammonia concentrations, closing loops in bio-refinery concepts. Valorisation of HTL process water underpins advances towards integrated biorefineries, maximising resource efficiency, reducing effluent treatment costs and enhancing overall sustainability of biomass-to-energy systems.
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Valorization of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Byproducts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in valorization of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous byproducts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Chemical oxygen demand (COD): A measure of the amount of oxygen required to oxidise organic matter in water. Hydrochar: A carbonaceous solid co-product from HTL, rich in nutrients and potential adsorbents. Aqueous phase reforming (APR): A catalytic process that converts water-soluble organics into hydrogen and carbon dioxide at moderate temperatures. Wet oxidation: An oxidation process using water and oxygen or air at elevated temperatures and pressures to degrade organic compounds.
References
- Hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase treatment and hydrogen production using electro-oxidation. Energy Conversion and Management (2021).
- Wet oxidation of aqueous phase from hydrothermal liquefaction of sewage sludge. Water Research (2021).
- Coupling hydrothermal liquefaction and aqueous phase reforming for integrated production of biocrude and renewable H2. AIChE Journal (2022).
- Hydrogen production from the catalytic supercritical water gasification of process water generated from hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae. Fuel (2016).
- Aqueous phase reforming of lignin-rich hydrothermal liquefaction by-products: A study on catalyst deactivation. Catalysis Today (2021).
- Methane potentials of wastewater generated from hydrothermal liquefaction of rice straw: focusing on the wastewater characteristics and microbial community compositions. Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts (2017).
- Distribution of nutrients and phosphorus recovery in hydrothermal liquefaction of waste streams. Biomass and Bioenergy (2022).
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