About hydrochar.
About hydrochar is a (bi)weekly newsletter about hydrochar.
For those unfamiliar with hydrochar, hydrochar is charcoal produced via the chemical process of hydrothermal carbonization. As the name suggests, it transforms biomass into char and other carbons in a process that includes water, heat – and pressure. Depending on the source biomass used and the process parameters we can end up with solid, liquid, or gaseous carbons.
In simple terms, hydrothermal carbonization imitates within a few hours the transformation of biomass into brown coal, which typically takes thousands to hundreds of thousands of years in nature.
Hydrothermal carbonization is not new. It was first described by the later Nobelist Friedrich Bergius in 1912. A substantial scientific literature exists, and industrial-scale plants are in operation. It has received renewed interest in recent years for its potential to support a carbon-neutral or carbon-negative economy. In this it complements the similar dry biochar-producing processes like pyrolysis and torrefaction in that it eliminates the need for costly drying of biomass inputs.
The goal of this newsletter is to give frequent updates about the potential, processes, and uses of hydrochar and hydrothermal carbonization. We try to summarize the academic literature, pinpoint new discoveries and describe the role hydrochar can play in a carbon-negative economy. We try to appeal to a general audience, no prior knowledge in chemistry is required.
We also tweet at @hydrochar.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website. Never miss an update.
Stay up-to-date
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.
