Organic breakdown products resulting from hydrothermal carbonization of brewer’s spent grain

Abstract

Hydrothermal carbonization of brewer’s spent grain resulted in a solid hydrochar and an aqueous phase rich in macromolecular dissolved organic matter. Both phases were analyzed with regard to low molecular weight organic compounds (MW<500Da) in lyophilized form by exhaustive solvent extraction followed by pre-chromatographic derivatization and GC/MS-analysis. Low molecular weight acids, O-functionalized phenols, cyclopentenone derivatives, and benzenediols accounted for the majority of organic analytes in both hydrothermal carbonization product streams while being absent in solvent extracts of the pristine biomass. The pattern of short chain functionalized acids in the pristine biomass and in the hydrothermally produced matrices turned out very different. Acylglycerines as the most abundant lipids in pristine brewer’s spent grain were quantitatively hydrolyzed under hydrothermal conditions. The recovery of total fatty acids present in the pristine biomass amounted to 19%. The major fraction of hydrophobic breakdown products including fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and sterols was sorbed onto the hydrochar.