Characterized hydrochar of algal biomass for producing solid fuel through hydrothermal carbonization

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2018-06, Vol.258, p.119-124
• Main Authors: Park, Ki Young, Lee, Kwanyong, Kim, Daegi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algal biomass; Hydrochar; Hydrothermal carbonization; Renewable energy; Solid fuel
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.03.003

•Hydrothermal conversion applied to produce the solid fuel as renewable energy resource from algal biomass.•The hydrothermal carbonization reaction achieved improvement of dewaterability and upgrading fuel properties of hydrochars.•Due to the hydrothermal carbonization, energy storage effects were used to improve the fuel properties of the hydrochars.•The optimum temperature for hydrothermal carbonization of algal biomass was around 210 °C. The aim of this work was to study the characterized hydrochar of algal biomass to produce solid fuel though hydrothermal carbonization. Hydrothermal carbonization conducted at temperatures ranging from 180 to 270 °C with a 60 min reaction improved the upgrading of the fuel properties and the dewatering of wet-basis biomasses such as algae. The carbon content, carbon recovery, energy recovery, and atomic C/O and C/H ratios in all the hydrochars in this study were improved. These characteristic changes in hydrochar from algal biomass are similar to the coalification reactions due to dehydration and decarboxylation with an increase in the hydrothermal reaction temperature. The results of this study indicate that hydrothermal carbonization can be used as an effective means of generating highly energy-efficient renewable fuel resources using algal biomass.