IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-31352-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal synthesis of carbon sub-micron spheres from cellulose

Author

Listed:
  • Shijie Yu

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

  • Xinyue Dong

    (Westlake University
    Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

  • Peng Zhao

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

  • Zhicheng Luo

    (Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, Helix, STW 3.48)

  • Zhuohua Sun

    (Beijing Forestry University)

  • Xiaoxiao Yang

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

  • Qinghai Li

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

  • Lei Wang

    (Westlake University
    Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

  • Yanguo Zhang

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

  • Hui Zhou

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

Abstract

The temperature and pressure of the hydrothermal process occurring in a batch reactor are typically coupled. Herein, we develop a decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal system that can heat the cellulose at a constant pressure, thus lowering the degradation temperature of cellulose significantly and enabling the fast production of carbon sub-micron spheres. Carbon sub-micron spheres can be produced without any isothermal time, much faster compared to the conventional hydrothermal process. High-pressure water can help to cleave the hydrogen bonds in cellulose and facilitate dehydration reactions, thus promoting cellulose carbonization at low temperatures. A life cycle assessment based on a conceptual biorefinery design reveals that this technology leads to a substantial reduction in carbon emissions when hydrochar replacing fuel or used for soil amendment. Overall, the decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal treatment in this study provides a promising method to produce sustainable carbon materials from cellulose with a carbon-negative effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Shijie Yu & Xinyue Dong & Peng Zhao & Zhicheng Luo & Zhuohua Sun & Xiaoxiao Yang & Qinghai Li & Lei Wang & Yanguo Zhang & Hui Zhou, 2022. "Decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal synthesis of carbon sub-micron spheres from cellulose," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31352-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31352-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31352-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-31352-x?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wan-Ting Chen & Yuanhui Zhang & Timothy H. Lee & Zhenwei Wu & Buchun Si & Chia-Fon F. Lee & Alice Lin & Brajendra K. Sharma, 2018. "Renewable diesel blendstocks produced by hydrothermal liquefaction of wet biowaste," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(11), pages 702-710, November.
    2. Wang, Tengfei & Zhai, Yunbo & Zhu, Yun & Li, Caiting & Zeng, Guangming, 2018. "A review of the hydrothermal carbonization of biomass waste for hydrochar formation: Process conditions, fundamentals, and physicochemical properties," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 223-247.
    3. T. Gasser & C. Guivarch & K. Tachiiri & C. D. Jones & P. Ciais, 2015. "Negative emissions physically needed to keep global warming below 2 °C," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-7, November.
    4. Johannes Lehmann, 2007. "A handful of carbon," Nature, Nature, vol. 447(7141), pages 143-144, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shen, Qian & Zhu, Xianqing & Peng, Yang & Xu, Mian & Huang, Yun & Xia, Ao & Zhu, Xun & Liao, Qiang, 2024. "Structure evolution characteristic of hydrochar and nitrogen transformation mechanism during co-hydrothermal carbonization process of microalgae and biomass," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    2. Zhang, Shiyu & Bie, Xuan & Qian, Zheng & Wu, Mengna & Li, Kaile & Li, Qinghai & Zhang, Yanguo & Zhou, Hui, 2024. "Synergistic interactions between cellulose and plastics (PET, HDPE, and PS) during CO2 gasification-catalytic reforming on Ni/CeO2 nanorod catalyst," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 361(C).
    3. Michael Heberl & Christian Withelm & Anja Kaul & Daniel Rank & Michael Sterner, 2024. "Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Biological Methanation in a Trickle-Bed Pilot Plant and a Potential Scale-Up," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Zhao, Peng & Yu, Shijie & Li, Qinghai & Zhang, Yanguo & Zhou, Hui, 2024. "Understanding heavy metal in the conversion of biomass model component: Migration and transformation characteristics of Cu during hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    5. Sun Yong Park & Seok Jun Kim & Kwang Cheol Oh & La Hoon Cho & Young Kwang Jeon & Dae Hyun Kim, 2023. "Evaluation of the Optimal Conditions for Oxygen-Rich and Oxygen-Lean Torrefaction of Forestry Byproduct as a Fuel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-19, June.
    6. Liu, Quan & Zhang, Guanyu & Kong, Ge & Liu, Mingyang & Cao, Tianqi & Guo, Zhirui & Zhang, Xuesong & Han, Lujia, 2023. "Valorizing manure waste into green coal-like hydrochar: Parameters study, physicochemical characteristics, combustion behaviors and kinetics," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Zhikun & Zhu, Zongyuan & Shen, Boxiong & Liu, Lina, 2019. "Insights into biochar and hydrochar production and applications: A review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 581-598.
    2. Tiago Teribele & Maria Elizabeth Gemaque Costa & Conceição de Maria Sales da Silva & Lia Martins Pereira & Lucas Pinto Bernar & Douglas Alberto Rocha de Castro & Fernanda Paula da Costa Assunção & Mar, 2023. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Corn Stover: Structural Evolution of Hydro-Char and Degradation Kinetics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Andrea G. Capodaglio & Gustaf Olsson, 2019. "Energy Issues in Sustainable Urban Wastewater Management: Use, Demand Reduction and Recovery in the Urban Water Cycle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Śliz, Maciej & Wilk, Małgorzata, 2020. "A comprehensive investigation of hydrothermal carbonization: Energy potential of hydrochar derived from Virginia mallow," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 942-950.
    5. Kung, Chih-Chun & McCarl, Bruce A. & Cao, Xiaoyong, 2013. "Economics of pyrolysis-based energy production and biochar utilization: A case study in Taiwan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 317-323.
    6. Michele Bertone & Luca Stabile & Giorgio Buonanno, 2024. "An Overview of Waste-to-Energy Incineration Integrated with Carbon Capture Utilization or Storage Retrofit Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Si, Buchun & Watson, Jamison & Wang, Zixin & Wang, Tengfei & Acero Triana, Juan S. & Zhang, Yuanhui, 2024. "Storage stability of biocrude oil fractional distillates derived from the hydrothermal liquefaction of food waste," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    8. Aragón-Briceño, C.I. & Pozarlik, A.K. & Bramer, E.A. & Niedzwiecki, Lukasz & Pawlak-Kruczek, H. & Brem, G., 2021. "Hydrothermal carbonization of wet biomass from nitrogen and phosphorus approach: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 401-415.
    9. Zouhair Elkhlifi & Jerosha Iftikhar & Mohammad Sarraf & Baber Ali & Muhammad Hamzah Saleem & Irshad Ibranshahib & Mozart Daltro Bispo & Lucas Meili & Sezai Ercisli & Ehlinaz Torun Kayabasi & Naser Ale, 2023. "Potential Role of Biochar on Capturing Soil Nutrients, Carbon Sequestration and Managing Environmental Challenges: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Holly Jean Buck, 2016. "Rapid scale-up of negative emissions technologies: social barriers and social implications," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 155-167, November.
    11. Shimaa M. Elsaeed & E. G. Zaki & Tarek M. Ibrahim & Nasser Ibrahim Talha & Hosam A. Saad & Adil A. Gobouri & Amr Elkelish & Salah Mohamed el-kousy, 2021. "Biochar Grafted on CMC-Terpolymer by Green Microwave Route for Sustainable Agriculture," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-16, April.
    12. Mathews, John A., 2008. "Carbon-negative biofuels," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 940-945, March.
    13. Leonel J. R. Nunes & Abel M. Rodrigues & João C. O. Matias & Ana I. Ferraz & Ana C. Rodrigues, 2021. "Production of Biochar from Vine Pruning: Waste Recovery in the Wine Industry," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-15, May.
    14. Savvas L. Douvartzides & Nikolaos D. Charisiou & Kyriakos N. Papageridis & Maria A. Goula, 2019. "Green Diesel: Biomass Feedstocks, Production Technologies, Catalytic Research, Fuel Properties and Performance in Compression Ignition Internal Combustion Engines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-41, February.
    15. Yonghua Li & Song Yao & Hezhou Jiang & Huarong Wang & Qinchuan Ran & Xinyun Gao & Xinyi Ding & Dandong Ge, 2022. "Spatial-Temporal Evolution and Prediction of Carbon Storage: An Integrated Framework Based on the MOP–PLUS–InVEST Model and an Applied Case Study in Hangzhou, East China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-22, December.
    16. Sriphirom, Patikorn & Rossopa, Benjamas, 2023. "Assessment of greenhouse gas mitigation from rice cultivation using alternate wetting and drying and rice straw biochar in Thailand," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    17. Emily Ho & David V. Budescu & Valentina Bosetti & Detlef P. Vuuren & Klaus Keller, 2019. "Not all carbon dioxide emission scenarios are equally likely: a subjective expert assessment," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 155(4), pages 545-561, August.
    18. Kanbur, Ravi & Leard, Benjamin & Bento, Antonio, 2012. "Super-Additionality: A Neglected Force in Markets for Carbon Offsets," CEPR Discussion Papers 8952, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Frederick Ploeg, 2018. "The safe carbon budget," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 47-59, March.
    20. Tiphaine Chevallier & Maud Loireau & Romain Courault & lydie chapuis-lardy & Thierry Desjardins & Cécile Gomez & Alexandre Grondin & Frédéric Guérin & Didier Orange & Raphaël Pélissier & Georges Serpa, 2020. "Paris climate agreement: Promoting interdisciplinary science and stakeholders' approaches for multi-scale implementation of continental carbon sequestration," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/312984, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31352-x. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    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.