Synergistic effects of metallic Fe and other homogeneous/heterogeneous catalysts in hydrothermal liquefaction of woody biomass

In order to determine the synergistic effects of the mixed additives of Fe and other catalysts on the yields and characteristics of bio-oil products, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of pinewood sawdust (PW) was performed at 300 °C for 30 min (biomass/water mass ratio = 1:10) in the presence of metallic iron (Fe), other homogeneous/heterogeneous catalysts (Na2CO3, NaOH, FeSO4, MgO, Ru/C, FeS), as well as mixed additives. The results indicated that the metallic Fe could increase the yield and promote the degree of hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil products. Noticeable synergistic effects on improving the bio-oil yields were found in the presence of mixed additives of Fe and an alkali catalyst (Na2CO3/NaOH) or FeS. The maximum bio-oil yield and the most energy recovery from bio-oil (81%) were obtained with Fe + Na2CO3. In addition, the combination of Fe + Ru/C produced bio-oil with the highest carbon and hydrogen contents, the highest HHV (30.93 MJ/kg), as well as the lowest contents of oxygenated compounds and the largest amount of hydrocarbons. In summary, this work demonstrates the synergistic effects of the mixed additives of Fe and several catalysts (Na2CO3, FeS and Ru/C) in HTL of woody biomass, promoting both yields and quality of bio-oil products.