Practical Issues in Catalytic and Hydrothermal Biomass Conversion: Concentration Effects on Reaction Pathways

Converting biomass to biofuels and chemicals calls for practical and simple processes, since it must compete economically with both burning and anaerobic bacterial digestion. Here we employ concentrated glucose solutions as a biomass model compound, using a pressure-controlled batch reactor setup for hydrothermal and catalytic upgrading. We examine the hydrothermal, acid-catalysed and base-catalysed reactions of concentrated glucose giving gases, tar (biofuels), and char products, and show that working at practical (i.e., high) feed concentrations has a strong effect on the reaction pathways.