Wet Torrefaction of Biomass Waste into High Quality Hydrochar and Value-Added Liquid Products Using Different Zeolite Catalysts

In this study, a groundbreaking chemocatalytic approach is introduced, employing various zeolite catalysts (H-ZSM-5, H-Beta, H-Y, H-USY, and H-Mordenite) in a batch reactor under a nitrogen atmosphere. This method enables the simultaneous one-pot production of levulinic acid (LA) and/or bio-ethanol during the WT process of wood cellulose pulp residue (WCPR), ultimately yielding high-quality solid fuel. The WT process involves at 220 and 260 °C, H2O/WCPR =10, and torrefaction time at 15, 30 and 60 min. The study identifies that at 220 °C and 15 min, as the optimal temperature and time, for bio-ethanol production, achieving a selectivity of 59.0% with the H-Y catalyst, while the highest amount of bio-ethanol (75.6%) was detected in presence of H-USY zeolite at 260 °C after 60 min.