Rethinking hydrothermal carbonization: development of lignin-focused biorefinery for generation of high-value hydrochar and lignin spheres

Key Points

• The review examines hydrothermal carbonization as a method for biomass valorisation, focusing on lignin production.
• Comprehensive overview of hydrothermal carbonization processes
• Analysis of recent developments in the field
• Discussion of future challenges in biomass valorisation
• Identification of high-value hydrochar production methods
• Presentation of lignin spheres generation techniques
• Evaluation of existing hurdles in the biorefinery concept