Recovery of biomass wastes by hydrolysis in sub-critical water

The recovery of waste substances is important not only for the prevention of environmental issues, but also for the rational utilization of natural resources. Hydrolysis reaction in sub-critical water is a promising method for the treatment of organic wastes and has been attracting worldwide attention. In this paper, sub-critical water hydrolysis was employed as a method for producing amino acids, reducing sugars, bio-oil and gas fuels from biomass wastes. The current statuses of these useful chemicals production from biomass wastes by hydrolysis in sub-critical water were reviewed. The review indicates that sub-critical water hydrolysis can be an efficient process for recovering useful chemicals from biomass wastes. This method is renewable, sustainable, efficient, and safe for the environment.