Solvent processing for improved separation of hydrothermal liquefaction products

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a technology capable of producing sustainable hydrocarbon fuels from wet waste, reducing volumes of that waste as an added benefit. However, sustainable fuel production through HTL has yet to reach commercial scale and opportunities for improvements to process safety remain. This work describes low-pressure, low-temperature, two-stage solvent extraction and separation of HTL products utilizing naphtha range hydrocarbons. The similar qualitative solubility behavior of bitumen and biocrude (BC) with respect to paraffin versus naphthene or aromatic solvent composition allows us to examine a process comparable to solvent processing of bitumen. Lab-scale experiments were carried out to demonstrate the basic process and evaluate key parameters. The laboratory work indicates that using aliphatic/aromatic solvent mixtures at 80 °C results in a recovery of nearly 100% of the biocrude from the product mixture with reduced carbon content on the hydro-char. The findings illustrate the potential of solvent extraction for HTL biocrude processing. On a commercial scale, such a process may de-risk HTL, improving prospects for commercialization, opening the door to widespread conversion of wet-waste and waste biomass to sustainable fuels by HTL.