Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of hydrothermal hybrid material, in particular coal-like hybrid material from biomass. The process involves the heating of a reaction mixture comprising water, biomass and a copolymerizable compound, wherein the copolymerizable compound is added when preparing the reaction mixture, in a variant of the process, the biomass is converted to activated biomass in a first step, and the copolymerization of the activated biomass and a copolymerizable compound to give the hydrothermal, preferably coal-like, hybrid material is started by adding a polymerization initiator. The invention also relates to the hydrothermal hybrid materials obtainable by the processes as such, e.g. to aqueous dispersions thereof. By incorporating copolymerizable compounds, e.g. petrochemical compounds in the structure of the hydrothermal hybrid materials, the physical properties of the materials and the preparation process thereof can be controlled.

Abstract: The present Invention relates to a hydrothermal process for the preparation of coal-like material from biomass, in which a reaction mixture comprising biomass is heated by contacting with steam, the steam moving counter-currently relative to the reaction mixture, to obtain a reaction mixture comprising activated biomass, and the activated biomass is subsequently polymerized to give a reaction mixture comprising coal-like material. According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a column, preferably a vertically oriented evaporation column, comprising horizontally oriented mass transfer trays, rotor elements mounted on a rotor shaft that is vertically oriented and passes through a rotor shaft opening in the mass transfer trays, and a housing provided with suitable upper and lower inlets and outlets. The column can be used with benefit in the hydrothermal process of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of hydrothermal hybrid material, in particular coal-like hybrid material from biomass. The process involves the heating of a reaction mixture comprising water, biomass and a copolymerizable compound, wherein the copolymerizable compound is added when preparing the reaction mixture, in a variant of the process, the biomass is converted to activated biomass in a first step, and the copolymerization of the activated biomass and a copolymerizable compound to give the hydrothermal, preferably coal-like, hybrid material is started by adding a polymerization initiator. The invention also relates to the hydrothermal hybrid materials obtainable by the processes as such, e.g. to aqueous dispersions thereof. By incorporating copolymerizable compounds, e.g. petrochemical compounds in the structure of the hydrothermal hybrid materials, the physical properties of the materials and the preparation process thereof can be controlled.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydro thermal carbonization process for the preparation of coal-like material using biomass. The process comprises a step (i) of heating a reaction mixture comprising water and biomass to obtain a reaction mixture comprising activated biomass; and a step (ii) of adding a polymerization initiator to the reaction mixture obtained in step (i) to polymerize the activated biomass and to obtain a reaction mixture comprising coal-like material. The process is beneficial in terms of product control, and process engineering.