A review on potential of green solvents in hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of lignin

Chung Loong Yiin; Elatta Bin Odita; Serene Sow Mun Lock; Kin Wai Cheah; Yi Herng Chan; Mee Kee Wong; Bridgid Lai Fui Chin; Armando T Quitain; Soh Kheang Loh; Suzana Yusup

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128075

A review on potential of green solvents in hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of lignin

Bioresour Technol. 2022 Nov:364:128075. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128075. Epub 2022 Oct 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia; Institute of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (ISuRE), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia. Electronic address: clyiin@unimas.my.
² Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
³ CO(2) Research Center (CO(2)RES), Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Malaysia.
⁴ School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, United Kingdom.
⁵ PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB), Lot 3288 & 3289, off Jalan Ayer Itam, Kawasan Institusi Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁶ Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, 250 CDT, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia; Energy and Environment Research Cluster, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, 250 CDT, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.
⁷ Center for International Education, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan; International Research Organization for Advanced Science and Technology (IROAST), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan.
⁸ Energy and Environment Unit, Engineering and Processing Division, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, No. 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁹ Fuel and Combustion Section, Generation Unit, Department of Generation & Environment, Tenaga Nasional Berhad Research (TNBR) Sdn Bhd, No. 1, Kawasan Institusi Penyelidikan, Jalan Ayer Hitam, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

PMID: 36220532
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128075

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges in biorefinery is to reduce biomass' recalcitrance and enable valorization of lignin into higher value compounds. Likewise, green solvents and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) with feasible economic viability, functionality, and environmental sustainability have been widely introduced in extraction and conversion of lignin. This review starts with the underscore of disadvantages and limitations of conventional pretreatment approaches and role of green solvents in lignin extraction. Subsequently, the effect of process parameters along with the reaction mechanisms and kinetics on conversion of lignin through HTL were comprehensively reviewed. The limitations of green solvents in extraction and HTL of lignin from biomass were discussed based on the current advancements of the field and future research scopes were also proposed. More details info on HTL of biomass derived lignin which avoid the energy-intensive drying procedures are crucial for the accelerated development and deployment of the advanced lignin biorefinery.

Keywords: Kinetics; Process parameters; Reaction mechanisms; Renewable energy.

Publication types

Review