title: Coupling hydrothermal liquefaction and anaerobic digestion for energy valorization from model biomass feedstocks.
abstract: Hydrothermal liquefaction converts food waste into oil and a carbon-rich hydrothermal aqueous phase. The hydrothermal aqueous phase may be converted to biomethane via anaerobic digestion. Here, the feasibility of coupling hydrothermal liquefaction and anaerobic digestion for the conversion of food waste into energy products was examined. A mixture of polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, representing food waste, underwent hydrothermal processing at temperatures ranging from 200 to 350°C. The anaerobic biodegradability of the hydrothermal aqueous phase was examined through conducting biochemical methane potential assays. The results demonstrate that the anaerobic biodegradability of the hydrothermal aqueous phase was lower when the temperature of hydrothermal processing increased. The chemical composition of the hydrothermal aqueous phase affected the anaerobic biodegradability. However, no inhibition of biodegradation was observed for most samples. Combining hydrothermal and anaerobic digestion may, therefore, yield a higher energetic return by converting the feedstock into oil and biomethane.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Cornell Energy Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States. Electronic address: rp332@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Posmanik
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Labatut
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Usack
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Cornell Energy Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Jefferson W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tester
authors.affiliation: Cornell Energy Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Centrum for Applied GeoSciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Largus T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Angenent
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D004063:Digestion; D008697:Methane
chemical_list: D008697:Methane
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Biomethane; Food waste; Hydrothermal liquefaction; Oil