PNNL

Abstract

Hydrothermal processing can be used to treat wet biomass by converting the organic contaminants to gases. When the system is operated as a metal catalyzed process at nominally 350?C and 21 MPa (so-called low-temperature gasification), it can produce a methane/carbon dioxide product gas from water slurries of biomass. This process can be utilized for both waste disposal and energy recovery. Catalyst stability in an aqueous processing environment is a major hurdle for use of such a system. Development of useful catalyst formulations has been achieved through bench-scale process development work. Catalyst lifetimes in excess of 5000h have been shown. Protection of the catalyst from feedstock impurities is a second major issue, which is more prominent in the biomass applications. Systems are under development to address mineral matter and sulfur contaminants.