Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 11, 2026
Transformation of Organic Household Leftovers into a Peat Substitute
Published on: July 9, 2019
Effects of hydrolysis and carbonization reactions on hydrochar production
K Fakkaew1, T Koottatep1, C Polprasert2
1Environmental Engineering and Management, School of Environment Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.
Abstract:
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermal conversion process which converts wet biomass into hydrochar. In this study, a low-energy HTC process named "Two-stage HTC" comprising of hydrolysis and carbonization stages using faecal sludge as feedstock was developed and optimized. The experimental results indicated the optimum conditions of the two-stage HTC to be; hydrolysis temperature of 170 °C, hydrolysis reaction time of 155 min, carbonization temperature of 215 °C, and carbonization reaction time of 100 min. The hydrolysis reaction time and carbonization temperature had a statistically significant effect on energy content of the produced hydrochar. Energy input of the two-stage HTC was about 25% less than conventional HTC. Energy efficiency of the two-stage HTC for treating faecal sludge was higher than that of conventional HTC and other thermal conversion processes such as pyrolysis and gasification. The two-stage HTC could be considered as a potential technology for treating FS and producing hydrochar.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
02:45Acid-Catalyzed Hydration of Alkenes
01:20Aldehydes and Ketones with Water: Hydrate Formation
The formation of hydrates is a reversible reaction. Hydrate formation is influenced by steric and electronic factors accompanying the alkyl substituents on the carbonyl group: The rate of hydrate formation increases with a decrease in the number of alkyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon. Hence,...
01:10Hydrolysis of Chlorobenzene to Phenol: Dow Process
01:01Acid Halides to Carboxylic Acids: Hydrolysis
As shown below, the mechanism involves a nucleophilic attack by water at the carbonyl carbon to form a tetrahedral intermediate. This is followed by the reformation of the carbon–oxygen π bond along with the departure of a halide ion. A final proton transfer step yields carboxylic...
02:34Regioselectivity and Stereochemistry of Acid-Catalyzed Hydration