First CIRCULAIR results published

We are excited to announce that the first peer-reviewed articles of the CIRCULAIR project on hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and wet oxidation (WO) of the HTL aqueous phase (HTL-AP) have been published by Aarhus University.

• “Continuous wet oxidation of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase: oxidant supply and integration potential”, Carolin Eva Schuck, Giulia Zoppi, Konstantinos Anastasakis, Patrick Biller (Continuous wet oxidation of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase: oxidant supply and integration potential – ScienceDirect) The article focuses on the effect of oxidant supply during continuous wet oxidation of HTL-AP to enhance the integration of both processes. Air and hydrogen peroxide were employed as oxidants in different stoichiometric ratios and results showed an improved oxidation efficiency for hydrogen peroxide and less diluted CO₂ compared to air. Overall, we found out that sub-stoichiometric O₂ supply led to a decent oxidation efficiency and byproduct share.
• “Development of an integrated hydrothermal liquefaction and wet oxidation process: a pathway for an autothermal biorefinery”, Guido Ceragioli, Carolin Eva Schuck, Giulia Zoppi, Giuseppe Pipitone, Konstantinos Anastasakis, Samir Bensaid, Raffaele Pirone, Patrick Biller (Development of an integrated hydrothermal liquefaction and wet oxidation process: a pathway for an autothermal biorefinery – ScienceDirect) The article investigates the integration of HTL and WO with the goal of using the heat generated by WO to meet the energy demand of the HTL process, aiming for autothermal operation. An optimal HTL-WO process configuration was identified, which proofed that the exothermic heat from WO would be sufficient to achieve an integrated autothermal system. The energy return of investment improved compared to standalone HTL from ~3 to ~7.

Both studies highlight CIRCULAIR’s key project objectives: Autothermal HTL-WO may be achievable!