Phillip Savage's lab focuses on chemical reactions in hot, compressed water, both below and above its critical point (374°C). They work with systems that have the potential for improving the environment and for sustainable production of energy. The lab has contributed to a better understanding of and advancing technology for oxidation in supercritical water for waste treatment, chemical synthesis in water for green chemistry, gasification in supercritical water to convert biomass and wastes to H2 and CH4, and hydrothermal liquefaction to convert wet biomass into a renewable bio-oil that can be upgraded and refined like petroleum to produce the fuels and chemicals needed in our modern society.
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Recent Publications
Integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-economic Analysis for Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Carbonaceous Municipal Solid Waste with Variable Composition
Mahadevan Subramanya, S., Savage, P. E. & Shi, R., Jan 12 2026, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 14, 1, p. 57-71 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
General component additivity, reaction engineering, and machine learning models for hydrothermal liquefaction
Guirguis, P. M. & Savage, P. E., Feb 21 2025, In: RSC Sustainability. 3, 4, p. 1788-1799 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Understanding PET Hydrolysis via Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Experimental Investigation
Ma, S. M., Pereira, P., Pester, C., Savage, P. E., Bakshi, B. R. & Lin, L. C., Jul 3 2025, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 129, 26, p. 6594-6603 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Fast and isothermal acetolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate): Reaction pathways and kinetic modeling
Pereira, P., Pester, C. & Savage, P. E., Dec 1 2025, In: Chemical Engineering Journal. 525, 170502.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Influence of Metal Salts on the Hydrolysis of Postconsumer Poly(ethylene Terephthalate)
Pereira, P., Slear, W., Guirguis, P. M., Savage, P. E. & Pester, C. W., May 9 2025, In: ACS ES and T Engineering. 5, 5, p. 1140-1148 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Review and assessment of models for predicting biocrude yields from hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass
Guirguis, P. M., Seshasayee, M. S., Motavaf, B. & Savage, P. E., Mar 6 2024, In: RSC Sustainability. 2, 4, p. 736-756 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Acid catalyst screening for hydrolysis of post-consumer PET waste and exploration of acidolysis
Pereira, P., Savage, P. E. & Pester, C. W., Jan 8 2024, In: Green Chemistry. 26, 4, p. 1964-1974 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Fast hydrolysis for chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Pereira, P., Slear, W., Testa, A., Reasons, K., Guirguis, P., Savage, P. E. & Pester, C. W., Apr 11 2024, In: RSC Sustainability. 2, 5, p. 1508-1514 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Renewable Fuels and Chemical Recycling of Plastics via Hydrothermal Liquefaction
Savage, P. E., Dec 3 2024, In: Accounts of Chemical Research. 57, 23, p. 3386-3396 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Hydrothermal liquefaction of starch using homogeneous and heterogeneous co-catalysts
Ding, X., Mahadevan Subramanya, S., Wang, Y. & Savage, P. E., Jul 15 2023, In: Chemical Engineering Journal. 468, 143570.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Neutral Hydrolysis of Post-Consumer Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste in Different Phases
Pereira, P., Savage, P. E. & Pester, C. W., May 8 2023, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 11, 18, p. 7203-7209 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
ACS Editors' Choice Virtual Collection from I&EC Research
Savage, P. E., Broadbelt, L. J., Ierapetritou, M., Li, B. G., Morbidelli, M., Nenoff, T. M., Patwardhan, A. W., Scurto, A. & Wang, H., Jun 14 2023, In: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 62, 23, p. 8993-8994 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Announcing the 2023 Class of Influential Researchers - Asia and Pacific
Savage, P. E., Dec 6 2023, In: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 62, 48, p. 20471-20472 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
I&EC Research Appoints New Associate Editor from China
Savage, P. E., Jan 11 2023, In: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 62, 1Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Introducing the Perspective Manuscript Type in I&EC Research
Savage, P. E., Jun 21 2023, In: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 62, 24, p. 9353 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review