Biomass conversion in supercritical water: Recent developments and process intensification for sustainable production of bio-fuels

Biomass conversion in supercritical water is an emerging technology capable of overcoming the remaining obstacles encountered in the production of second generation bio-ethanol and direct liquefaction of wet aquatic biomass. However, many aspects of the technology are not fully understood and still disputed. The reactor material constraints and other difficulties coupled with the extreme conditions of water at high temperatures and high pressures are the main factors limiting the applications of the technology. This paper aims to identify possibilities to overcome the difficulties, by reviewing recent developments in the field and considering the principle of process intensification