Hydrothermal carbonization of anaerobically digested maize silage.

Hydrochars were prepared by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of maize silage previously treated at 55 °C in a two-stage solid-state reactor system. The HTC was carried out in a 1-L stirred pressure reactor with pH regulation by citric acid. The treated silage carbonized at relatively mild conditions (190 °C, 2 h), and the hydrochars showed mainly amorphous macro-size features with a carbon content of 59-79% (ash-free, dry) and a higher heating value of 25-36 MJ kg⁻¹.