Inorganic Salt Catalysed Hydrothermal Carbonisation (HTC) of Cellulose

The presence of inorganic salts either as part of the substrate or added to the reaction medium are known to significantly affect the reaction pathways during hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) of biomass. This work aims to understand the influence of salts on hydrothermal carbonisation by processing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Catalysts 2022-05, Vol.12 (5), p.492
Main Authors: Hammerton, James M., Ross, Andrew B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Anions
Basicity
Biomass
Carbon
Carbonization
Catalysts
Cations
Cellulose
Chemical reactions
Glucose
Heat
Inorganic salts
Levulinic acid
Lignocellulose
Low molecular weights
Molecular weight
Organic acids
Recycling
Substrates
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Summary:The presence of inorganic salts either as part of the substrate or added to the reaction medium are known to significantly affect the reaction pathways during hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) of biomass. This work aims to understand the influence of salts on hydrothermal carbonisation by processing cellulose in the presence of one or more inorganic salts with different valency. Batch experiments and Differential Scanning Calorimetry were used to investigate the change in reaction pathways during hydrothermal conversion. The effect of salts on the rate of HTC of cellulose can be correlated with the Lewis acidity of the cation and the basicity of the anion. The effect of the anion was more pH-dependent than the cation because it can protonate during the HTC process as organic acids are produced. The introduction of salts with Lewis acidity increases the concentration of low molecular weight compounds in the process water. The addition of a second salt can influence the catalytic effect of the first salt resulting in greater levulinic acid yields at the expense of hydrochar formation. Salts also play an important role in cellulose dissolution and can be used to modify the yield and composition of the hydrochars.
ISSN:2073-4344
2073-4344
DOI:10.3390/catal12050492