Hydrothermal Carbonization of Residual Biomass from Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Sector

Abstract

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising method for the conversion of agricultural and agro-industrial residues into valuable products. HTC processes biomass through chemical reactions that produce hydrochar, a carbon-rich solid similar to lignite. Unlike other thermochemical processes, HTC can handle high-moisture biomass without pre-drying. This article evaluates the efficiency of HTC on wood chips, wheat straw, and grape pomace, examining their chemical and structural characteristics and critical operational parameters such as the temperature, pressure, biomass/water ratio, and reaction time. The obtained results highlight that the two key process parameters are the temperature and the ratio between the solid biomass and liquid phase. Increasing the first parameter increases the energy content by 20% and increases the carbon concentration by up to 50%, while reducing the oxygen content by 30% in the hydrochar. Varying the second parameter leads to the alternating reduction of the ash content but simultaneously reduces the energy content. The reaction time seems to have a limited influence on the quality parameters of the biochar produced. Lastly, HTC appears to successfully enhance the overall quality of widely available agricultural wastes, such as grape pomace.