The chemistry of HTC is not new, but its use as a source of sustainable energy has only recently been realized. The products obtainable by autoclaving vegetable matter (grass clippings, bark) at 180-200°C in excess water, depending on treatment time, include: topsoil (2 h); peat (4-6 h); coal (12 h). From a chemical perspective, consider the transformation of carbohydrate: C6H_(12)O6 => C6H2O + 5 H2O ΔH = 2300kJ/mol When the reaction is carried out in an autoclave in excess water, the process itself is exothermic, and this excess heat can be used to sustain the hydrothermal treatment.
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