Cited by 2,132Subcritical and Supercritical Water ProcessesThermochemical Biomass Conversion ProcessesHeat transfer and supercritical fluids

Thermochemical biofuel production in hydrothermal media: A review of sub- and supercritical water technologies

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Peterson, Andrew A., Vogel, Frédéric, Lachance, Russell P., Fröling, Morgan, Antal, Jr., Michael J., Tester, Jefferson W.·2008·Energy & Environmental Science

Abstract

Hydrothermal technologies are broadly defined as chemical and physical transformations in high-temperature (200–600 °C), high-pressure (5–40 MPa) liquid or supercritical water. This thermochemical means of reforming biomass may have energetic advantages, since, when water is heated at high pressures a phase change to steam is avoided which avoids large enthalpic energy penalties. Biological chemicals undergo a range of reactions, including dehydration and decarboxylation reactions, which are influenced by the temperature, pressure, concentration, and presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Several biomass hydrothermal conversion processes are in development or demonstration. Liquefaction processes are generally lower temperature (200–400 °C) reactions which produce liquid products, often called “bio-oil” or “bio-crude”. Gasification processes generally take place at higher temperatures (400–700 °C) and can produce methane or hydrogen gases in high yields.

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Authors
Peterson, A. A., Vogel, F., Lachance, R. P., Fröling, M., Antal, Jr., & Tester, J. W.
Affiliations
  • Paul Scherrer Institute (CH)
  • United States Military Academy (US)
  • Chalmers University of Technology (SE)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Tester, Jefferson W.
Venue
Energy & Environmental Science
Published
2008
Volume
1
Issue
1
Pages
32
ISSN
  • 1754-5692 (ISSN-L)
  • 1754-5706
OpenAlex
W2159594704
Cited by
2,132
References
246
Citations by year
2026: 98 · 2025: 121 · 2024: 108 · 2023: 107 · 2022: 144 · 2021: 155 · 2020: 161 · 2019: 157 · 2018: 165 · 2017: 140 · 2016: 124 · 2015: 165 · 2014: 159 · 2013: 111 · 2012: 80
FWCI
29.83
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Energy & Environmental Science (publishedVersion)
  • DORA PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Chalmers Publication Library (Chalmers University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Chalmers Research (Chalmers University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FG36-)
  • General Mills
  • Harvard University
  • Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
  • Paul Scherrer Institut
  • Army Research Office
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Subcritical and Supercritical Water Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Heat transfer and supercritical fluids
Keywords
biomass thermochemical conversion, hydrothermal conversion, supercritical water, subcritical water, biomass liquefaction, bio-oil, biocrude, biomass gasification, hydrogen production, methane production, dehydration reactions, heterogeneous catalysts, homogeneous catalysts

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