Mixed waste

Engineering

Industrial waste

Pyrolysis

Geotechnical engineering

Heat of combustion

Raw material

Petroleum engineering

Hydrothermal liquefaction

Chemical engineering

Geology

Oceanography

Waste management

Organic chemistry

Municipal solid waste

Biofuel

Biomass (ecology)

Combustion

Environmental science

Liquefaction

Fossil fuel

Chemistry

Food waste

Pulp and paper industry

Combustibility

Hazardous waste

Applied Energy

Hydrothermal liquefaction is a promising technology to convert wet biomass into bio-oil with high calorific value and without drying process. To evaluate the potential application of liquefaction bio-oil in industry, the present study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis on the properties of liquefaction bio-oil derived from food waste. The food waste is pretreated with K2CO3 at 100 °C for 1 h, followed by liquefaction in a semi-pilot reactor at 320 °C for 30 min. The higher heating value of produced bio-oil is 34.79 MJ kg−1, accounting for 53% increase when compared to the feedstock (22.74 MJ kg−1). The ignition and burnout temperatures of the bio-oil are lower than other liquefaction bio-oils, reflecting its higher reactivity and combustibility. Meanwhile, the bio-oil has a higher oxidation onset temperature than pyrolysis bio-oils, showing its higher thermal stability. The independent parallel reaction model in association with the particle swarm optimization indicates that the pyrolysis kinetics of the bio-oil can be approximated by four groups. The component analysis further reveals two important groups of fatty acids and amides in the bio-oil, stemming from the conversion of carbohydrate and protein in the food waste. The comprehensive analysis shows that the liquefaction bio-oil from food waste, characterized by higher energy density and better combustibility, is a potential substitute to the fossil fuels.

A comprehensive analysis of food waste derived liquefaction bio-oil properties for industrial application