Solvothermal liquefaction of waste

Abstract

A waste stream of organic matter such as plant and wood sourced streams may be converted to useful hydrocarbon products such as so-called “bio-oil” by selective sourcing of woody and herbaceous feeds having lignan and glucan, among other potential hydrocarbon sources. An intermediate sourced from methane or similar industrial waste by-products enhances useful yields of bio-oil and organic products from high temperature and pressure processes such as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Usage of the low-cost intermediate produced from waste products such as shale gas increases yields of a desired diesel precursor and minimizes char, a low value waste byproducts of hydrothermal processing. The low-cost intermediate is a mixture of methanol, ethanol, and water, and since it may be produced from natural gas that would otherwise be flared or discarded, invocation for conversion of waste biomass into fuels has the advantage of converting two different waste steams into a useful product.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.