Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass: a commentary
Aiman Hakim Supee, Muhammad Abbas Ahmad Zaini
Abstract
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical conversion method to upgrade the raw biomass into carbon-rich material, which is known as hydrochar. This commentary will focus on the applications of hydrochar in wastewater treatment. Hydrochar has been widely used as an adsorbent for the removal of water pollutants; however, owing to its poor porous texture and small surface area, it is usually converted through an activation process, which yields an activated carbon with superior physicochemical properties and adsorption capacities. While HTC is proven to be beneficial, the current limitations of HTC as a pretreatment prior to activated carbon production are also incorporated to provide insight into its usage during the activation process.