Hydrothermal Processes (HTP)

Hydrothermal processes use water at high temperature and pressure to convert organic materials — such as biomass and waste — into valuable products like fuels, chemicals, and materials (Libra et al., 2011). These technologies are based on unique properties of water under subcritical and supercritical conditions, which enable selective chemical reactions, decomposition, and transformation of biomolecules. Hydrothermal systems are studied for their efficiency, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, and their role in sustainable energy and resource recovery.

In subcritical water (100–374 °C, up to 22 MPa), the dielectric constant decreases, leading to enhanced solubility of organic compounds, accelerated hydrolysis, and repolymerization reactions. In supercritical water (>374 °C, >22 MPa), water behaves as a non-polar solvent, drastically changing chemical equilibria and facilitating gasification and synthesis reactions. Reaction pathways, catalyst effects, and reactor design are essential in optimizing product distributions and process sustainability.

Table 1 summarizes the main hydrothermal processes, including their typical operating temperatures, products, and applications.

📖 References

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