Application of Hydrothermal Reactions to Biomass Conversion

Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology

Fangming Jin Editor

Application of

Hydrothermal

Reactions

to Biomass

Conversion

Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology

Series editors

Prof. Liang-Nian He

State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University,

Tianjin, China

Prof. Robin D. Rogers

Department of Chemistry, Center for Green Manufacturing,

The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA

Prof. Dangsheng Su

Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research,

Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China

and

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck

Society, Berlin, Germany

Prof. Pietro Tundo

Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari

University of Venice, Venice, Italy

Prof. Z. Conrad Zhang

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,

Dalian, China

For further volumes:

http://www.springer.com/series/11661

Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology

Aims and Scope

The series Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology aims to present cutting￾edge research and important advances in green chemistry, green chemical

engineering and sustainable industrial technology. The scope of coverage includes

(but is not limited to):

– Environmentally benign chemical synthesis and processes (green catalysis,

green solvents and reagents, atom-economy synthetic methods etc.)

– Green chemicals and energy produced from renewable resources (biomass,

carbon dioxide etc.)

– Novel materials and technologies for energy production and storage (biofuels

and bioenergies, hydrogen, fuel cells, solar cells, lithium-ion batteries etc.)

– Green chemical engineering processes (process integration, materials diversity,

energy saving, waste minimization, efficient separation processes etc.)

– Green technologies for environmental sustainability (carbon dioxide capture,

waste and harmful chemicals treatment, pollution prevention, environmental

redemption etc.)

The series Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology is intended to provide an

accessible reference resource for postgraduate students, academic researchers and

industrial professionals who are interested in green chemistry and technologies for

sustainable development.

Fangming Jin

Editor

Application of Hydrothermal

Reactions to Biomass

Conversion

123

Editor

Fangming Jin

School of Environmental Science

and Engineering

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai

China

ISSN 2196-6982 ISSN 2196-6990 (electronic)

ISBN 978-3-642-54457-6 ISBN 978-3-642-54458-3 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-54458-3

Springer Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014936868

Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

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Preface

The earth’s sustainable development is threatened by energy exhaustion and rising

atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide linked to global warming. One of

the causes for energy crisis and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide could be the

imbalance between the rapid consumption of fossil fuels in anthropogenic activ￾ities and the slow formation of fossil fuels. An efficient method for counteracting

the imbalance in the carbon cycle should involve the rapid conversion of biomass

and organic waste into fuels and chemicals. For this purpose, we can learn from

the geologic formation of fossil fuels. It is known that hydrothermal reaction plays

an important role in forming petroleum, natural gas, and coal from organic wastes,

and thus can be recognized as another pathway in the carbon cycle.

Hydrothermal reaction is generally defined as a reaction occurring in the pres￾ence of an aqueous solvent at high temperature and high pressure. The application

of hydrothermal reaction to the conversion of biomass, as a relatively new

technology, is receiving increasing attention. It has been demonstrated that the

hydrothermal conversion of biomass shows excellent potential for the rapid

conversion of a wide variety of biomass into fuels and/or value-added products.

It is because high-temperature water exhibits very different properties from

ambient liquid water and is environmentally friendly due to the nature of the

reaction medium, i.e., water. Thus, if the geologic formation of fossil fuels in

nature could be combined with the hydrothermal methods being studied for bio￾mass conversions, an efficient scheme could be realized to recycle carbon and

produce fuels and/or chemicals.

This book compiles recent advances in hydrothermal conversion of biomass

into chemicals and/or fuels and consists of 15 chapters. It introduces the properties

of high-temperature water, the merits of hydrothermal conversion of biomass, and

some novel hydrothermal conversion processes, such as hydrothermal production

of value-added products (with an emphasis on the production of organic acids),

hydrothermal gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction, and hydrothermal carbon￾ization. A wide range of biomass and biomass waste is involved in this book, from

carbohydrates, lignocelluloses, and glycerine, to bio-derived chemicals and

sewage sludge.

This book will help readers to expand their knowledge of biomass conversion

and the carbon cycle, and facilitate understanding of how the problems associated

with biomass conversion, shortage of energy, and the environment, can be solved.

v

It is the editor’s hope that materials compiled in this book will be useful in

conveying a fundamental understanding of hydrothermal conversion of biomass in

the carbon cycle so that a contribution can be made to achieving sustainable

energy and environment.

Fangming Jin

vi Preface

Contents

Part I Characters of High Temperature Water

and Hydrothermal Reactions

1 Water Under High Temperature and Pressure Conditions

and Its Applications to Develop Green Technologies

for Biomass Conversion ............................... 3

Fangming Jin, Yuanqing Wang, Xu Zeng, Zheng Shen

and Guodong Yao

Part II Hydrothermal Conversion of Biomass into Chemicals

2 Hydrothermal Conversion of Cellulose into Organic Acids

with a CuO Oxidant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Yuanqing Wang, Guodong Yao and Fangming Jin

3 Hydrothermal Conversion of Lignin and Its Model Compounds

into Formic Acid and Acetic Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Xu Zeng, Guodong Yao, Yuanqing Wang and Fangming Jin

4 Production of Lactic Acid from Sugars by Homogeneous

and Heterogeneous Catalysts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Ayumu Onda

5 Catalytic Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Value-Added

Organic Acids in Aqueous Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Hongfei Lin, Ji Su, Ying Liu and Lisha Yang

6 Catalytic Hydrothermal Conversion of Biomass-Derived

Carbohydrates to High Value-Added Chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Zhibao Huo, Lingli Xu, Xu Zeng, Guodong Yao and Fangming Jin

vii

Part III Hydrothermal Conversion of Biomass into Fuels

7 Effective Utilization of Moso-Bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla)

with Hot-Compressed Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Satoshi Kumagai and Tsuyoshi Hirajima

8 Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass in Hot-Compressed

Water, Alcohols, and Alcohol-Water Co-solvents

for Biocrude Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Chunbao Charles Xu, Yuanyuan Shao, Zhongshun Yuan,

Shuna Cheng, Shanghuang Feng, Laleh Nazari

and Matthew Tymchyshyn

9 Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Saqib Sohail Toor, Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl, Jessica Hoffmann,

Thomas Helmer Pedersen, Rudi Pankratz Nielsen

and Erik Gydesen Søgaard

10 Hydrothermal Gasification of Biomass

for Hydrogen Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Jude A. Onwudili

Part IV Hydrothermal Conversion of Biomass

into Other Useful Products

11 Review of Biomass Conversion in High Pressure High

Temperature Water (HHW) Including Recent Experimental

Results (Isomerization and Carbonization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Masaru Watanabe, Taku M. Aida and Richard Lee Smith

12 Hydrothermal Carbonization of Lignocellulosic Biomass . . . . . . . 275

Charles J. Coronella, Joan G. Lynam, M. Toufiq Reza

and M. Helal Uddin

Part V Hydrothermal Conversion of Biomass Waste into Fuels

13 Organic Waste Gasification in Near￾and Super-Critical Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Liejin Guo, Yunan Chen and Jiarong Yin

viii Contents

14 Hydrothermal Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste

for Producing Solid Fuel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Kunio Yoshikawa and Pandji Prawisudha

15 Sewage Sludge Treatment by Hydrothermal Process

for Producing Solid Fuel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Kunio Yoshikawa and Pandji Prawisudha

Contents ix

Contributors

Taku M. Aida Department of Environmental Study, Tohoku University, Sendai,

Japan

Yunan Chen State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering,

International Research Center for Renewable Energy, Xi’an Jiaotong University,

Xi’an, China

Shuna Cheng Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative Resources,

The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Charles J. Coronella Chemical Engineering/170, University of Nevada, Reno,

NV, USA

Shanghuang Feng Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative Resources,

The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Liejin Guo State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering,

International Research Center for Renewable Energy, Xi’an Jiaotong University,

Xi’an, China

Tsuyoshi Hirajima Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Nishi-ku,

Fukuoka, Japan

Jessica Hoffmann Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University,

Aalborg Ø, Denmark

Zhibao Huo School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao

Tong University, Shanghai, China

Fangming Jin School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao

Tong University, Shanghai, China

Satoshi Kumagai Research and Education Center of Carbon Resource, Kyushu

University, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan; Organization for Cooperation with Industry

and Regional Community, Honjyo, Saga, Japan

Hongfei Lin Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of

Nevada, Reno, NV, USA

xi

Ying Liu Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of

Nevada, Reno, NV, USA

Joan G. Lynam Chemical Engineering/170, University of Nevada, Reno, NV,

USA

Laleh Nazari Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative Resources,

The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Rudi Pankratz Nielsen Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and

Environmental Engineering, Section of Chemical Engineering, Aalborg

University, Esbjerg, Denmark

Ayumu Onda Research Laboratory of Hydrothermal Chemistry, Faculty of

Science, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan

Jude A. Onwudili School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering,

Energy Research Institute, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

Thomas Helmer Pedersen Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg

University, Aalborg Ø, Denmark

Pandji Prawisudha Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bandung Institute

of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia

M. Toufiq Reza Chemical Engineering/170, University of Nevada, Reno, NV,

USA

Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University,

Aalborg Ø, Denmark

Yuanyuan Shao Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative Resources,

The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Zheng Shen National Engineering Research Center for Facilities Agriculture,

Institute of Modern Agricultural Science and Engineering, Tongji University,

Shanghai, China

Richard Lee Smith Research Center of Supercritical Fluid Technology, Tohoku

University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Environmental Study, Tohoku Univer￾sity, Sendai, Japan

Ji Su Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Nevada,

Reno, NV, USA

Erik Gydesen Søgaard Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and

Environmental Engineering, Section of Chemical Engineering, Aalborg

University, Esbjerg, Denmark

Saqib Sohail Toor Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University,

Aalborg Ø, Denmark

xii Contributors

Matthew Tymchyshyn Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative

Resources, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

M. Helal Uddin Chemical Engineering/170, University of Nevada, Reno, NV,

USA

Yuanqing Wang RIKEN Research Cluster for Innovation Nakamura Laboratory,

Saitama, Japan

Masaru Watanabe Research Center of Supercritical Fluid Technology, Tohoku

University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Environmental Study, Tohoku Univer￾sity, Sendai, Japan

Chunbao Charles Xu Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative

Resources, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Lingli Xu School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao

Tong University, Shanghai, China

Lisha Yang Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of

Nevada, Reno, NV, USA

Guodong Yao School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao

Tong University, Shanghai, China

Jiarong Yin International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key

Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University,

Xi’an, China

Kunio Yoshikawa Department of Environmental Science and Technology,

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

Zhongshun Yuan Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative Resources,

The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Xu Zeng School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong

University, Shanghai, China

Contributors xiii

Part I

Characters of High Temperature Water

and Hydrothermal Reactions

Chapter 1

Water Under High Temperature

and Pressure Conditions and Its

Applications to Develop Green

Technologies for Biomass Conversion

Fangming Jin, Yuanqing Wang, Xu Zeng, Zheng Shen

and Guodong Yao

Abstract This chapter introduces the chemical and physical properties of water

under high temperature and pressure, such as ion product, density, dielectric

constant and hydrogen bonding, and the applications of these properties on bio￾mass conversion. These properties that are adjustable by changing the reaction

temperature and pressure or adding additives are central to the reactivity of the

biomass feedstock to break the C–C or C–O bonds. For example, glucose will

follow different reaction pathways under acidic or alkali environment which is

related to the ion product of water. Presently, hundreds of strategies utilizing these

properties to transform biomass into target products intentionally or unintention￾ally are proposed. In this chapter, the hydrothermal processes applied in the

conversion of biomass including cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin and glycerin into

commodity chemicals such as organic acids are mainly reviewed. In addition, the

production of CO2 as a byproduct from biomass conversion is sometimes inevi￾table. To achieve 100 % carbon yield, the process of reduction of CO2 is often

neglected but required. In the last section, the one pot reaction of glycerin con￾version and CO2 reduction is reviewed based on the hydrogen bonding property.

F. Jin (&) X. Zeng G. Yao

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,

800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China

e-mail: [email protected]

Y. Wang

RIKEN Research Cluster for Innovation Nakamura Laboratory, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako,

Saitama 351-0198, Japan

Z. Shen

National Engineering Research Center for Facilities Agriculture, Institute of Modern

Agricultural Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

F. Jin (ed.), Application of Hydrothermal Reactions to Biomass Conversion,

Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-54458-3_1,

Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

3