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Updated: Sep 12, 2026

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production
Published on: June 15, 2014
Hydrothermal carbonization coupling with liquid dimethyl ether extraction pretreatment of sewage sludge: Hydrochar
Chenyu Wang1, Biao Gui1, Chaoyue Wu2
1Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
Abstract:
Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge converts waste into hydrochar; however, the complex organic composition of feedstock limits the product value. A novel process that combines liquid dimethyl ether extraction and hydrothermal carbonization (DE-HTC) was proposed for improving the product value by simultaneously producing biocrude/hydrochar and improving feedstock suitability for thermochemical conversion. Biocrude and hydrochar with a product yield of 2.62% and 55.83% were produced via DE-HTC, respectively. The hydrochar yield increased by 12.65%-29.90% compared to traditional single-step hydrothermal carbonization. The hydrochar energy densification was decreased by 1.16%-10.28%, while hydrochar's energy yield increased by 47%-66%, and it had a more prominent porous structure. By avoiding the decomposition of proteins during thermochemical conversion, the nitrogen content of the biocrude obtained via DE-HTC was only 0.38%. The biocrude was also further qualitatively analyzed. This study provides insights into the efficacy of a novel hydrothermal method with distinct product value advantages over direct hydrothermal carbonization.
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