Valorisation of vegetable market wastes to gas fuel via catalytic hydrothermal processing

Abstract Residues of leek, cabbage and cauliflower from the market places as representatives of lignocellulosic biomass were processed via hydrothermal gasification to produce energy fuel. The experiments were carried out in a batch reactor at temperatures 300, 400, 500 and 600 °C and corresponding pressures varying in the range of 7.5–43 MPa. Natural mineral additives trona, dolomite and borax were used as homogenous catalysts to determine their effects on the gasification. More than 70 wt% of carbon in vegetable residue samples were detected in the gas phase after the hydrothermal gasification process at 600 °C. The addition of trona mineral further promoted the gasification reactions and as a result, less than 5 wt% carbon remained in the solid residue at the same temperature, degrading the biomass samples into gas and liquid products. The fuel gas with the highest calorific value was recorded to be 25.6 MJ/Nm3, from the hydrothermal gasification of cabbage at 600 °C, when dolomite was used as the homogeneous catalyst. The liquid products obtained in the aqueous phase were detected as organic acids, aldehydes, ketones, furfurals and phenols. The gas products were consisted of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and as minors; carbon monoxide and low molecular weight hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, etc.). Above 500 °C, all biomass samples yielded 50–55 vol% of CH4 and H2 while the CO2 composition was around 40 vol% as the gas product.