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Novel hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose catalyzed by montmorillonite to produce kerogen-like hydrochar

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Abstract

The conversion of cellulose to petroleum-like fuel is a very challenging yet attractive route to developing biomass-to-fuel technology. Many attempts have been made in liquefaction, pyrolysis and gasification of cellulose to produce fuels or intermediate chemicals. Previous studies indicate that these processes are tough. Hence, the present work is concerned with the development of new technologies for the conversion of cellulose into materials which are analogies to the precursor of petroleum. Montmorillonite-catalyzed hydrothermal carbonization of microcrystalline cellulose for the production of kerogen-like hydrochar under mild conditions was investigated. It was revealed that the hydrothermal carbonization of microcrystalline cellulose alone resulted in hydrochar with type III kerogen-like structure, whereas in the presence of montmorillonite, the hydrothermal carbonization of microcrystalline cellulose yielded a hydrochar-mineral complex, of which the isolated organic fraction was oil-prone type II kerogen-like structure. Results suggested that further improved montmorillonite-aided biomass conversion to more oil-prone kerogen-like solid products could be an alternative efficient route to obtain biofuel and chemicals.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (21373185), the Distinguished Young Scholar Grants from the Natural Scientific Foundation of Zhejiang Province (ZJNSF, R4100436), ZJNSF (LQ12B03004), Zhejiang “151 Talents Project”, and the projects (2010C14013 and 2009R50020-12) from Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Provincial Government and the financial support by the open fund from Key Laboratory of Clay Minerals of the Ministry of Land and Resources, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Group for Advanced Materials and Sustainable Catalysis (AMSC), College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China

    Lin Mei Wu, Chun Hui Zhou, Dong Shen Tong & Wei Hua Yu

  2. The Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia

    Chun Hui Zhou & Hao Wang

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  1. Lin Mei Wu
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  2. Chun Hui Zhou
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  3. Dong Shen Tong
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  4. Wei Hua Yu
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  5. Hao Wang
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Correspondence to Chun Hui Zhou.

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Wu, L.M., Zhou, C.H., Tong, D.S. et al. Novel hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose catalyzed by montmorillonite to produce kerogen-like hydrochar. Cellulose 21, 2845–2857 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0323-2

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