Biochemical and biohythane production from anaerobically digested water plant by hydrothermal liquefaction/gasification

Abstract

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was anaerobically digested with waste sludge in a batch system at varying total solid (TS) contents (3.3–8.3%) and temperatures (35–55 °C). Then, the high organic content of digested biomass was utilized for hydrothermal liquefaction/gasification in the batch reactor system at different temperatures (200–600 °C) to yield biofuels and biochemicals. Hydrothermal liquefaction/gasification was performed in sub- and super-critical water (above 374 °C and 221 bar) conditions. Prevailing products are some biochemical compounds (carboxylic acids, furfurals, aldehyde/ketones, phenols etc.) at lower temperatures (200–300 °C) while biohythane (total of hydrogen and methane) gaseous fuel are produced at higher temperatures (400–600 °C). The highest carbon gasification efficiency (73 g C in product/g C in feed) was obtained at 600 °C with the sample that has a high anaerobic digestion efficiency (digested at 6.3 TS% at 35 °C). The highest carbon liquefaction efficiency (37.2 g C in product/g C in feed) was obtained at 200 °C with the sample which has a low anaerobic digestion yield (digested at 8.3 TS% at 35 °C).