ABSTRACT
Global energy consumption is estimated to increase 56% by 2040, with China and India consuming the highest among all countries. Biomass is the organic matter derived from wood, animals, forest residuals and municipal solid wastes, which can be viewed as a potential energy source. The biomass sample that is used for the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process is rice husk. HTC is associated with three main stages: hydrolysis, polymerization and aromatization. The biochar produced from the gasification process consists of alkali and alkaline metals and toxic substances which include polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Slow pyrolysis, conventional pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and flash pyrolysis are the available processes. The torrefaction process results in an energy loss of 10–15%. Another benefit of HTC over other processes is that it functions at lower temperatures and produces few gaseous pollutants. The HTC process aims to produce more solid products, which have valuable industrial and environmental applications.
