Patent ID: 8241605

Claim:
A catalytic hydrothermal process characterized by: heating under pressure a wet biomass feedstock to a temperature sufficient for organic constituents in the feedstock to decompose, for precipitates of inorganic wastes to form, and for preheating the wet feedstock in preparation for subsequent separation of sulfur contaminants, the temperature and pressure less than the critical temperature and pressure of water; separating the precipitates out of the wet feedstock, removing sulfur contaminants from the wet biomass feedstock, at a temperature and pressure less than the critical temperature and pressure of water; and exposing the wet biomass feedstock to a heterogeneous metal catalyst and gasifying at least a portion of the organic constituents after said separating, said exposing occurs at temperatures and pressures below the critical point of water; wherein the process is operated in continuous mode and wherein water in the feedstock is in a liquid phase during said heating, separating, and exposing steps.