CHAPTER 20: Sub- and Supercritical Water Hydrolysis Applied to Agri-food Residues

This chapter presents a review on the latest studies on sub/supercritical water hydrolysis (SWH) of residues from the agriculture and food industry. Application of SWH to these raw materials is done with the aim of producing fermentable sugars, which can in turn be converted to second-generation bioethanol. SWH is a green technology that, when applied to biomass, does not compete with the food chain and can lead to a source of sustainable renewable transportation fuel. Studies over the last few years have shown that this technology is still under development, at a level below industrial application. Nevertheless, it has potential as an environmentally benign process to produce renewable fuel.