IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v211y2025ics1364032124009912.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hydrothermal carbonization of lignin from black liquor enhances biomethane yield

Author

Listed:
  • Ma, Shuaishuai
  • Wang, Hongliang
  • Ren, Xiurong
  • Wang, Ziyu
  • Gao, Xin
  • Bian, Chuanfei
  • Wei, Luyao
  • Chen, Shanshuai
  • Cui, Zongjun
  • Zhu, Wanbin

Abstract

Improper disposal of black liquor significantly contributes to environmental pollution in the pulping industry. While rich in organic matter, black liquor's high lignin content complicates its anaerobic digestion (AD) for biogas production. In this study, hydrothermal carbonization was applied to convert alkali lignin (AL) in black liquor into two different carbon materials, namely lignin hydrochar (LHC) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs). These materials were characterized, and their impact on AD was evaluated. The results revealed that high concentrations of AL significantly inhibited methane production, but converting AL into LHC and CQDs and adding them to the AD system at 3 g/L mitigated these inhibitory effects, enhancing biomethane production by 26.16 % and 17.91 %, respectively. Both materials improved soluble chemical oxygen demand removal, increased coenzyme F420 activity, and boosted adenosine triphosphate concentration. Moreover, electrochemical tests and excitation emission matrix analyses revealed that CQDs enhanced the conductivity and redox capability of the AD systems, while LHC promoted redox capacity and the production of humic acid-like organic compounds. Further microbial community and predicted functional gene analyses indicated that LHC and CQDs increased the abundance of microorganisms related to hydrolytic, acidifying, and direct interspecies electron transfer, enhancing three methanogenic pathways. This comprehensive study provides a strategy to convert lignin into two additives for biomethane enhancement and offers new insights into efficient black liquor bioconversion.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Shuaishuai & Wang, Hongliang & Ren, Xiurong & Wang, Ziyu & Gao, Xin & Bian, Chuanfei & Wei, Luyao & Chen, Shanshuai & Cui, Zongjun & Zhu, Wanbin, 2025. "Hydrothermal carbonization of lignin from black liquor enhances biomethane yield," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:211:y:2025:i:c:s1364032124009912
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.115265
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032124009912
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2024.115265?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:211:y:2025:i:c:s1364032124009912. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.