Continuous Wet Air Oxidation of the Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Product from Various Wet Wastes

Wang, Peipei; Kim, Min Soo; Bohutskyi, Pavlo; dos Passos, Juliano Souza; Collett, James R.; Johnson, Zachary D.; Subramaniam, Senthil; Kilgore, Uriah J.; Fox, Samuel P.; Cronin, Dylan J.; Schmidt, Andrew J.; Thorson, Mike; Wang, Huamin

doi:10.1021/acssusresmgt.5c00249

Continuous Wet Air Oxidation of the Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Product from Various Wet Wastes

Journal Article · Thu Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · ACS Sustainable Resource Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acssusresmgt.5c00249· OSTI ID:2587277

Wang, Peipei ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; dos Passos, Juliano Souza ^[2]; Collett, James R. ^[1]; Johnson, Zachary D. ^[3]; ^[4]; Kilgore, Uriah J. ^[1]; Fox, Samuel P. ^[1]; Cronin, Dylan J. ^[1]; Schmidt, Andrew J. ^[1]; ^[5]; ^[5]

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Richland, WA (United States). WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Richland, WA (United States). WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Richland, WA (United States). WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute; Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)

Wet air oxidation (WAO) offers an effective method for treating waste streams, converting pollutants into benign substances, and holds significant potential for processing the aqueous product from the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL-AP) of wet wastes, a promising renewable fuel technology. Here, we conducted a comprehensive study of the WAO of HTL-AP from four different wet wastes. Through continuous testing under various conditions, we produced samples with different chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels, enhancing understanding of reaction parameters necessary for substantial COD reduction (>95%). Chemical analysis revealed that alcohols and ketones in the HTL-AP rapidly oxidized to acetic acid through aldehyde intermediates, while acetic acid, other carboxylic acids, and phenols oxidized relatively slowly. The light N-containing compounds were found to exhibit a change in concentration only after the whole sample reaches an 80% COD reduction, indicating their refractory nature under applied conditions. Energy released in the WAO reaction was calculated, and anaerobic toxicity assay demonstrated that WAO treatment enhanced methane production kinetics due to reduced inhibitory effects, suggesting partial oxidative transformation of inhibitory compounds into less toxic derivatives. These findings provide insights into designing effective WAO processes for valorizing HTL aqueous products, addressing key barriers to HTL process commercialization.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 2587277

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--211464

Journal Information:: ACS Sustainable Resource Management, Journal Name: ACS Sustainable Resource Management Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 2; ISSN 2837-1445

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Continuous Wet Air Oxidation of the Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Product from Various Wet Wastes

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