ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of supercritical water (SCW) in each of these functions, with a special emphasis on the functions that generate synthetic fuels. It also examines the role of water as a chemical reactant under subcritical conditions. The chapter focuses on the role of SCW for carrying out various organic chemical reactions. SCW has liquid-like density and gas-like transport properties and behaves very differently than water at room temperature. However, the polar species such as inorganic salts, are no longer soluble and they start precipitating. Catalytic oxidation that has been used for many wastewater treatment, wet air oxidation, and photolysis is now being used for oxidation of organic compounds in SCW medium. Oxidation in SCW (SCWO) is a rapidly developing technology for the destruction of organic wastes. The SCW allows maximum concentration driving forces for the reaction because there are no interfacial mass or heat-transfer resistances to hinder the reaction rate.
