Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Zhang, Mingshuai Shao, Huanan Wu, Ning Wang, Qindong Chen, Qiyong Xu
Summary: The study found that hydrothermal treatments can significantly improve the properties of food waste digestate, effectively reducing the amount of solid residue after treatment. Through hydrothermal treatment, organic matter and carbon dissolve into the liquid, while multivalent metals concentrate in the solid residue, making the digestate more stable.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charikleia A. Poravou, Nikolaos Tsongidis, Christodoulos Lekkos, Vasiliki A. Zacharopoulou, Athanasios G. Konstandopoulos
Summary: This study investigates the product properties and biocrude yield resulting from the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of plastic waste and polypropylene using conventional heating and solar energy-aided methods. The results show that the solar energy-aided treatment can increase the biocrude yield and improve the heating value of the products.
WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jamison Watson, Buchun Si, Zixin Wang, Tengfei Wang, Amanda Valentine, Yuanhui Zhang
Summary: Biocrude oil distillates derived from hydrothermal liquefaction of food waste show potential as transportation fuel blendstock after distillation to improve chemical and physical properties, but blending with other fuels is still necessary to enhance certain characteristics.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Matteo Pecchi, Marco Baratieri, Alex R. Maag, Jillian L. Goldfarb
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) are two distinct processes differentiated by the reaction temperatures. Solvents are commonly used to extract bio-oil and separate the primary char and secondary char. Lipid hydrolysis begins at around 220 degrees C and is complete at 250 degrees C and above. Lower HTL temperature reduces energy cost and maximizes lipid hydrolysis, resulting in liquid fuel precursors with up to 70% energy recovery.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Megha Mathur, Nidhi Hans, Farah Naaz, S. N. Naik, Kamal K. Pant, Anushree Malik
Summary: The study explores the utilization of different extraction techniques to convert microalgal consortium biomass into value-added products (VAPs). Supercritical CO2 extraction (SFE) was found to yield higher lipid content with increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Subcritical-hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) produced biocrude with aldehyde/ketone, aromatics, and alkanes/alkenes/alkynes, targeting various industries. The sequential SFE-HTL process showed improved biocrude quality and extraction of PUFAs.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bita Motavaf, Phillip E. Savage
Summary: The study found that hydrothermal liquefaction of food waste near the critical temperature can achieve the highest biocrude yields, while the most severe reaction conditions can produce biocrude with the highest heating value.
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zakariya Y. Mahssin, Muzakkir Mohammad Zainol, Norhidayah Abdul Hassan, Haryati Yaacob, Mohd Hafiz Puteh, Nor Aishah Saidina Amin
Summary: The study evaluated a bio-product recovered from food waste as a potential non-petroleum-based binder in asphalt pavement. By optimizing the liquefaction reaction, the recovered product from the liquefied food waste can substitute conventional asphalt binders.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sayed Ahmed Ebrahim, Gilles Robertson, Xin Jiang, Elena A. Baranova, Devinder Singh
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of commercial catalysts in improving the yield and quality of bio-crude produced from food waste. The results show that different catalysts and operating gases have an impact on the bio-crude yield, HHV, and asphaltenes content.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenqi Wang, Jingchun Huang, Junwen Wang, Zhen Hu, Minghou Xu, Yu Qiao
Summary: The sulfur transformation behavior during co-hydrothermal carbonization of sludge and food waste model compounds was investigated. The addition of starch and xylan significantly increased the sulfur retention ratio in hydrochar. These model compounds can react with different sulfur forms to form various organic sulfur compounds and transform into hydrochar through polymerization reactions with hydrolyzed intermediates. Cellulose enhanced the formation of sulfone-S in hydrochar, while the hydrolysate of palmitic acid facilitated the polymerization of sulfur from aqueous to hydrochar.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jayaraman Rajagopal, Kannapan Panchamoorthy Gopinath, Rajendran Neha, Krishnan Aakriti, Ramesh Sai Jayaraman, Jayaseelan Arun, Arivalagan Pugazhendhi
Summary: This study investigates the production of bio-hydrogen from household mixed waste through hydrothermal gasification (HTG) and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) experiments. The results show that both HTG and HTL processes can yield high amounts of hydrogen and bio-oil under specific temperature and solvent to waste ratios, providing support for the utilization of household mixed waste as an energy source.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Esra Capanoglu, Elifsu Nemli, Francisco Tomas-Barberan
Summary: A large amount of agricultural food wastes and byproducts are generated worldwide, causing environmental problems. Nanotechnological and biotechnological approaches are used to valorize these wastes and improve their stability and applicability. Utilizing food waste for functional food production is another way of valorization.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yulin Hu, Mai Attia, Emir Tsabet, Ahmad Mohaddespour, Muhammad Tajammal Munir, Sherif Farag
Summary: Converting waste tires into energy through pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction is an effective valorization process. The produced tire oil can be used for energy purposes and as a precursor for valuable chemicals. Research also explores the potential use of solid products for wastewater treatment and reinforcement.
JOURNAL OF MATERIAL CYCLES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sabrina Summers, Siyu Yang, Jamison Watson, Yuanhui Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the production and fuel quality of diesel blends through emulsification of HTL biocrude using centrifugation and ultrasonification. The emulsion treatment improved the HHV, viscosity, and TAN of the fuel blends compared to the HTL biocrude oil, achieving high solubility levels with surfactant addition and increased retention time. The emulsions had maximum biocrude solubilities of 65.43 wt% for centrifugation and 75.67 wt% for ultrasonification, and the highest HHV was 45.39 MJ/kg for centrifuge emulsion and 45.73 MJ/kg for ultrasonic emulsion. Emulsification led to lower viscosities (5.91 and 6.06 mm2/s) and TAN values (14.18-41.31 for centrifugation, 16.22-50.31 for ultrasonification) compared to the biocrude. The study demonstrates that emulsification of HTL biocrude is an efficient and economical pathway for producing renewable diesel blends.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Aisha Matayeva, Andrea Fasolini, Daniele Bianchi, Stefano Chiaberge, Jacopo De Maron, Francesco Basile
Summary: The hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process of protein-rich biomass produces biocrude with a high nitrogen content. Nitrogen compounds mainly exist in the form of fatty acid amides (FAAs) and nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (NAs), with different hydro-denitrogenation reactivity. It is important to shift reaction pathways towards less recalcitrant compounds and reduce the nitrogen content of biocrudes. The study found that NAs are more recalcitrant compared to FAAs, and a higher lipid content inhibits the generation of NAs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhi-Cong Wang, Xiao-Ke Hou, Yi-Bo Wang, Elendu Collins, Pei-Gao Duan
Summary: In this study, steam explosion was used to pretreat soybean straw (SS) and produce pretreated soybean straw (PSS). Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of SS and PSS was conducted in deionized water (DW), lower layer (LL), and upper layer (UL). The UL yielded the highest bio-oil, with SS and PSS accounting for 31.30 wt% and 31.77 wt% of the bio-oil yield respectively, possibly due to the high gas content of the UL. Bio-oil is not suitable as a fuel, but can be used for high-value-added chemical production.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Joseph Heng, Ziyang Zhang, Emily Proctor, Maksim Tyufekchiev, N. Aaron Deskins, Michael T. Timko
Summary: This study measured the solubility of cellobiose in various organic liquids and water, and analyzed three models to understand factors affecting solubility. The LFER model and modified UNIFAC framework showed promising results in predicting solubility, providing guidance for future research on the use of nonaqueous solvents for biomass conversion.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Song Luo, Tongkun Wang, Jason Gulbinski, Long Qi, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Michael T. Timko, Scott M. Auerbach, Wei Fan
Summary: Fluoride (F-) plays a crucial role in the synthesis of low-defects siliceous zeolites by balancing positive charges from organic structure-directing agents and stabilizing key building units such as the double four-membered ring (D4R). The presence of F- in the crystallization process leads to the formation of distinct Raman features of F-/D4R and empty D4R units in the synthesized LTA zeolite, indicating an ordered distribution of these units in the final crystals. This study provides deeper insights into the roles of F- in stabilizing intact D4R units and maintaining charge balance during zeolite formation.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Song Luo, Tongkun Wang, Long Qi, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Michael T. Timko, Scott M. Auerbach, Wei Fan
Summary: Controlling defects in zeolites is crucial for tuning their adsorption and catalytic properties. This study explores the limit of F- as a charge-balancing agent in siliceous zeolites through an integrated approach of zeolite synthesis, spectroscopy, and density functional theory. The results show that F- has a limited capacity to balance OSDA charge in zeolite synthesis.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Azadeh Zaker, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Siwen Wang, Jesse Q. Bond, Michael T. Timko
Summary: The addition of a suitable amount of water during supercritical water assisted aromatization process can enhance the conversion rate of dodecane and the yield of BTEX products, while maintaining the crystallinity and Bronsted acid site density of ZSM-5; excessive water, however, leads to decreased cracking rate of dodecane and reduced formation of aromatic products.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Matteo Pecchi, Marco Baratieri, Jillian L. Goldfarb, Alex R. Maag
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization is a thermochemical process that converts wet waste biomass into hydrochar, a renewable solid fuel. The nature of the feedstock and choice of solvent can affect the amount and composition of primary and secondary char phases. Ethanol can extract liquid fuel precursors from lipid-rich feedstocks, while acetone and dichloromethane can remove oily secondary char and maximize primary char yield for substrates rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and lignocellulose.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jeffrey R. Page, Heather O. LeClerc, Philip Smolitsky, Joseph P. Esposito, Douglas P. Theberge, Azadeh Zaker, Alex R. Maag, Sanket Sabnis, Edward B. Ledford, John Coleman, Wei Fan, Siwen Wang, Jesse Q. Bond, Bernardo Castro-Dominguez, Michael T. Timko
Summary: The study found that the combination of nano-ZSM-5 and 15 wt% water loading resulted in the highest conversion rate of palmitic acid and yield of one-ring aromatics, indicating that reducing particle size and optimizing water content are beneficial for achieving desired reaction outcomes; furthermore, further research revealed that the catalyst can be reused up to four times without reduction in yields under these conditions.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Madeline Karod, Andrew H. Hubble, Alex R. Maag, Zoe A. Pollard, Jillian L. Goldfarb
Summary: The use of clay minerals as catalysts for upgrading bio-oils in situ was explored. The results showed that catalytic pyrolysis with clay minerals produced bio-oils with lower oxygen and fatty acid content compared to non-catalyzed pyrolysis. However, the adsorption capacity of the resulting heterogeneous biochar-clay mixtures decreased due to the loss of surface functional groups.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Matteo Pecchi, Alessandro Cascioli, Alex R. Maag, Jillian L. Goldfarb, Marco Baratieri
Summary: In situ analysis of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and liquefaction (HTL) processes can be achieved using high-pressure differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This study applies a newly developed DSC method to continuously assess the heat release profile of cellulose across the hydrothermal spectrum. The results reveal that both HTC and HTL are exothermic reactions, and a thermodynamic transition occurs at the transition from HTC to HTL. This novel DSC technique could reduce cost and time in evaluating potential feedstocks for HTC and HTL, expediting the commercialization of these thermochemical processes.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heather O. LeClerc, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Alex D. Paulsen, Amy M. McKenna, Sydney F. Niles, Christopher M. Reddy, Robert K. Nelson, Feng Cheng, Andrew R. Teixeira, Michael T. Timko
Summary: Food waste is a promising resource for renewable fuel production. The use of hydroxyapatite catalyst in hydrothermal liquefaction can increase biocrude yields and promote condensation reactions. Economic and environmental analysis shows that this technology can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce renewable diesel.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nneka B. B. Ekwe, Maksim V. V. Tyufekchiev, Ali A. A. Salifu, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr, Zhaoxi Zheng, Alex R. R. Maag, Geoffrey A. A. Tompsett, Charles M. M. Cai, Emmanuel O. O. Onche, Ayten Ates, Winston O. O. Soboyejo, Robert Krueger, Michael T. T. Timko
Summary: This study focuses on using bamboo as a feedstock for the production of renewable sugars and highlights its potential as a rapid route to decarbonization in low- and middle-income economies. The research demonstrates the effectiveness of delignification and amorphization pretreatments in obtaining high yields of sugars. Furthermore, a comparison with corn stover reveals the economic advantages of bamboo-based bio-refineries.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nazih Kassem, Matteo Pecchi, Alex R. Maag, Marco Baratieri, Jefferson W. Tester, Jillian L. Goldfarb
Summary: This study developed a model to evaluate the feasibility of implementing hydrothermal carbonization technology in New York State. The model considers the interplay between plant location, feedstock availability, policies, and economic viability, providing a decision-making tool for policy makers and entrepreneurs.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muntasir Shahabuddin, Eduardo Italiani, Andrew R. Teixeira, Nikolaos Kazantzis, Michael T. Timko
Summary: This study examines the application of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology in biofuel production and highlights the importance of transportation costs and modular plant design. The research findings indicate that a modular plant design capable of handling 60 dry tons per day can significantly reduce the fuel selling price.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heather O. LeClerc, Jeffrey R. Page, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Sydney F. Niles, Amy M. McKenna, Julia A. Valla, Michael T. Timko, Andrew R. Teixeira
Summary: Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising strategy for converting energy-dense waste into fuels. Mixed-feed HTL allows for the utilization of local resources and lowers costs. This study investigates the effects of feed composition on product distributions and mechanisms in HTL conditions using food and green waste. The findings reveal the emergence of numerous chemical compounds and highlight the influence of feedstock blending on product outcomes.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heather O. LeClerc, Rasha Atwi, Sydney F. Niles, Amy M. McKenna, Michael T. Timko, Richard H. West, Andrew R. Teixeira
Summary: Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising strategy for converting organic waste into energy-dense biocrude. This study investigates the distribution and reaction pathways of nitrogen in different hydrothermal products generated from food waste. The results suggest that the Maillard reaction is the dominant pathway for converting reactive nitrogen intermediates into observed products.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth R. Belden, Nikolaos K. Kazantzis, Christopher M. Reddy, Hauke Kite-Powell, Michael T. Timko, Eduardo Italiani, Dudley R. Herschbach
Summary: The study examines the feasibility and potential impacts of using hydrothermal liquefaction of waste plastics as fuel for self-powered ocean cleanup. A thermodynamic analysis shows that this method has the energy potential to power both the cleanup process and the ship. The efficiency of cleanup operations is mainly dependent on the number of cleanup devices deployed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)