Graphical abstract_CoBiol_260922

With the static #global growth 🌏 of the #biomass-derived #fuel #supplychain, coupled with their inclusion in the long-term #decarbonization of many transport enterprises, the sector still addresses the following #questions: are the emerging technologies assessing the #sustainability and #scalability of biofuels? and if so, what are the #challenges in the implementation of the future global #energy– #water–#climate #nexus?

Despite #hydrothermal #liquefaction (HTL) being a competitive technology and apart from #crudeoil as the target product, the major challenge limiting the economic viability and technical scalability of the HTL-related process is the safe disposal of generated by-products, including nearly 25 wt.% to 50 wt.% post-hydrothermal #aqueous #phase (HTL-AP 💧) and 5 wt.% to 20 wt.% solid #hydrochar residues (HCs).

#Integrating #adsorbents such as commercially #activatedcarbon and #zeolites can be a potential step to the removal of xenobiotic and recalcitrant #organic and #nutrient compounds from HTL-AP. However, these expensive adsorbents require a substitute for adsorption sustainability. Solid HCs, which are generated from HTL with carbon as the major element, can be used as low-cost adsorbents. However, its #porosity of 0.058–0.082 cm3/g and BET-specific surface area of 1.56–17 m2/g remain comparatively low because of the formation and condensation of hydrocarbons on the surface, thereby clogging pores and reducing its #adsorption capacity. To the best of our knowledge, existing HTL studies have well-characterized crude bio-oils but have not focused on hydrochar except for primary details such as yield and ultimate analysis. Furthermore, the use of HTL hydrochar as an alternative low cost for #commercial adsorbents and #wastewater #remediation purposes is very less explored in comparison to pyrolytic char. Hence, the focus of our just available online accepted article is to contribute to the knowledge development of these #gaps.