Hydrothermal Carbonization of Carbohydrates: A Kinetic and Mechanistic Study

Hydrothermal Carbonization of Carbohydrates: A Kinetic and Mechanistic Study In terms of energy recovery, the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising method. Despite the long history of this process, the mechanism and kinetics are poorly understood. For tracing the reaction kinetics a combination of analysis methods has been used. In the presented study the HTC of carbohydrates is examined with addition of acid and base. Thereby, a major influence of acids on the hydrolysis of cellulose can be observed. The HTC of glucose, however, remains largely unaffected by these additives. Furthermore, it was observed that reduced heating rates lead to changes in the biochar acidity.