Resource Upgrading in Advanced Supercritical Fluid (Supercritical Fluid with Catalyst and Cosolvent): Liquid Fuels from Biomass in Sub and Supercritical Water and Carbohydrate Up-Conversion in Ionic Liquid and Supercritical Fluids Mixtures

Liquid fuels from biomass and up-conversion of biomass in advanced supercritical fluid are reviewed in this chapter. Lignin can be converted into heavy hydrocarbons in subcritical water extraction. Lipid, which is triglyceride, is catalytically converted into straight-chain hydrocarbons of free fatty acid (decarboxylation) formed by hydrolysis. Carbohydrate is also hydrothermally converted into furan ring compound and fatty acids. Protein is converted into amino acids in hydrothermal water and depolymerization of protein is favored with rapid heating and denaturation agency such as alkaline earth metals. Free amino acids are further decomposed into carboxylic acid through deamination and into amine through decarboxylation. To inhibit Maillard reactions, which result in polymerization, the deamination of amino acid at low temperature was favored and a solid catalyst was quite active for deamination of free amino acids at quite low temperature hydrothermal water. Cellulose was dissolved in some ionic liquids with high mass percentages (5 – 20 wt%) and converted into monomers and useful components such as furan ring compounds and supercritical fluid cosolvent such as hydrothermal water in ionic liquids supported improvement of reaction efficiency. For hydrogenation of biomass, it was confirmed that hydrogen solubility was enhanced with supercritical carbon dioxide and it must be helpful for hydrogen reaction with biomass molecule.