IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-56037-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Green coal and lubricant via hydrogen-free hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass

Author

Listed:
  • Maojiong Cao

    (China Agricultural University
    Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
    State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources)

  • Reaihan E

    (China Agricultural University
    Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
    Shihezi University)

  • Changbin Yuan

    (China Agricultural University
    Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

  • Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl

    (Aalborg University)

  • Yuanhui Zhang

    (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

  • Charles Chunbao Xu

    (City University of Hong Kong)

  • Yulong Wu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Deliang Kong

    (China Agricultural University
    Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs)

  • Yingxian Wang

    (Henan University of Science and Technology)

  • Jiaming Li

    (Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering)

  • Zhidan Liu

    (China Agricultural University
    Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
    State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources)

Abstract

Biocrude derived from biomass via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a sustainable substitute for petroleum to obtain energy and biochemicals. Upgrading biocrude inevitably faces the trade-off between consuming large amounts of hydrogen via hydrotreating and high yield of solid residue without additional hydrogen. In this work, we report a non-hydrogenated refinery paradigm for nearly complete valorization (~90%), via co-generating green coal and bio-lubricant. The obtained green coal has higher heating values comparable to commercial coals, with a lower fuel ratio and reduced ash content. Viscosity of upgraded vacuum distillate is comparable to that of a lubricant oil. A life cycle assessment confirms 28% reduction in greenhouse gas emission and 35% reduction in energy input of this paradigm compared with conventional hydrotreating biorefinery. This approach presents an environmentally friendly, safe and convenient paradigm for biocrude refining from huge biowaste towards carbon-neutral society.

Suggested Citation

  • Maojiong Cao & Reaihan E & Changbin Yuan & Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl & Yuanhui Zhang & Charles Chunbao Xu & Yulong Wu & Deliang Kong & Yingxian Wang & Jiaming Li & Zhidan Liu, 2025. "Green coal and lubricant via hydrogen-free hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56037-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56037-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56037-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-56037-z?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
    ---><---

    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:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56037-z. 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: 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.