US 20150126758 to Genifuel/Batelle: SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR EFFICIENT SEPARATION OF BIOCRUDES AND WATER IN A HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM

The first published claim of the '758 application:

1. A process for clean separation of a biocrude from a water by-product present in a hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) product mixture derived from an HTL feedstock, comprising the steps of: removing precipitated inorganic compounds and/or mineral solids present in the HTL feedstock and/or the HTL product mixture at a first temperature and a first pressure; cooling the HTL product mixture to a second temperature selected below the first temperature after removing the precipitated inorganic compounds and/or mineral solids to phase separate the biocrude from the water by-product in the HTL product mixture; and separating the biocrude and the water by-product phases in the absence of an extraction solvent into separate biocrude and water by-product fractions without a further change in temperature and pressure.