Green methods like HTL, pyrolysis, and fermentation turn waste into clean fuels. But for the entire process to be economically sustainable, we must efficiently recover side products like alcohols and ketones from the water phase.
The challenge? Existing thermodynamic models, like the NRTL model, struggle with these complex, non-ideal bio-oil mixtures.
Great news: FUEL-UP partner, Matteo Gilardi, researcher at SINTEF Industry, presented critical work to solve this at the AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference 2025 in Boston last November.
His presentation, “Re-Parametrization of NRTL Model for C1+ Organics and Alcohols Recovery from Aqueous Phase in Biofuel Production,” uses a massive experimental database to recalibrate the model, drastically improving its predictive power for the FUEL-UP Project.
This work is essential for the future of commercial-scale biorefineries.
