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Unlocking synergies in low-temperature co-liquefaction of food residues for biocrude production: Experimental and simulation insights into food waste valorisation

par Okoro, Oseweuba ;Tondeur, Violette;Nie, Lei ;Shavandi, Armin
Référence Chemical engineering research & design, 218, page (468-480)
Publication Publié, 2025-06-01

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

The rising generation of food waste poses a significant environmental challenge but also presents opportunities for resource recovery and energy generation. This study explores the low-temperature hydrothermal co-liquefaction (HTcL) of beer spent grain (BSG) and apple pomace (AP) to produce biocrude, while emphasizing both experimental findings and simulation insights. Initial investigations utilized the Box-behnken design methodology to identify optimal conditions for temperature (120–280 °C), time (15–120 min), and solid load concentration (5–20 wt%) to maximize biocrude yields for each type of feedstock. The optimal conditions for BSG were determined to be 201.9 °C, 15 min, and 5 wt% solid concentration, yielding an average biocrude yield of 23.08 wt%. For AP, the optimal conditions were 217 °C, 15 min, and 5 wt% solid concentration, resulting in a mean biocrude yield of 13.58 wt%. The BSG and AP were then subjected to HTcL in varying mixture mass ratios of 1:3, 1:1, and 3:1 under the determined distinct optimal conditions. The mixture of BSG and AP exhibited the highest synergistic effect factor of 0.11, with the associated biocrude and biochar products having energy densities of 31.2 MJ/kg and 25.74 MJ/kg, respectively. This experimental system served as the foundation for an ASPEN Plus-based scale-up simulation to evaluate the viability of the process at larger scales. The simulation results indicated that the scaled-up HTcL process could deliver both economic and environmental advantages, with higher processing capacities further enhancing overall performance. These findings enhance our understanding of thermochemical co-liquefaction processes and highlight the potential of food residue mixtures as viable feedstocks for biocrude production, paving the way for innovative waste-to-energy strategies.