Product separation and purification method and system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of separating and purifying products from a hydrothermal and/or solvothermal conversion process of carbonaceous material adapted to convert a feed stream comprising carbonaceous material at a pressure of at least 100 bar and a temperature of at least 300° C., where the converted feed stream (product mixture) comprises a mixture of COcontaining gas, an oil phase, an aqueous phase comprising water soluble organics and dissolved salts, and inorganic solid phase; where the product mixture is cooled to a temperature in the range 40 to 250° C., and depressurized to a pressure in the range 1 to 30 bar, the method comprising—separating a gas comprising COfrom the product mixture in a degasser such as a flash separator, and—separating a water phase from the at least partly degassed converted feed mixture in a first separation step of the separation, and adding washing agents in the form of an acidifying agent and a diluent to the at least partly degassed and at least partly dewatched product mixture, and separating the mixture with added washing agents into an oil rich phase, a water rich phase and a solid rich phase in a second step of the separation process, and further at least partly recovering the diluent from the oil rich phase.