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US 10,294,187 B2Granted
Process for the isolation of levulinic acid
AssigneeGeorgia-Pacific Corporation
InventorsPierre Louis Woestenborghs, Rinke Marcel Altink
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Abstract
The invention relates to a process for the isolation of levulinic acid from an organic solution, comprising washing said organic solution with an alkaline aqueous stream to yield a washed organic solution; subjecting the washed organic solution to a distillation to yield a distillate and a distillation residue; and recovering levulinic acid from the distillate or the residue. This process may result in high yields of levulinic acid.
Claims20
A process for separating levulinic acid, comprising:
- contacting a biomass hydrolysate comprising levulinic acid with a solvent comprising methyl tetrahydrofuran to produce an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising the levulinic acid and the solvent;
- separating the organic phase from the aqueous phase;
- washing the organic phase with an alkaline aqueous stream to produce a washed organic phase and a spent washing water;
- distilling the washed organic phase to produce a distillate and a distillation residue, wherein water is added to the washed organic phase prior to or during distillation of the washed organic phase;
- and
- separating levulinic acid from at least one of the distillate and the distillation residue.
3 more elements
A process for producing levulinic acid, comprising:
- hydrolyzing a biomass to produce a biomass hydrolysate comprising levulinic acid;
- contacting the biomass hydrolysate with a solvent comprising methyl tetrahydrofuran to produce an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising the levulinic acid and the solvent;
- separating the organic phase from the aqueous phase;
- washing the organic phase with an alkaline aqueous stream to produce a washed organic phase and a spent washing water;
- distilling the washed organic phase to produce a distillate and a distillation residue, wherein water is added to the washed organic phase prior to or during distillation of the washed organic phase;
- and
- separating levulinic acid from at least one of the distillate and the distillation residue.
4 more elements
A process for producing levulinic acid, comprising:
- hydrolyzing a lignocellulosic biomass at a temperature of about 170° C. to about 240° C. to produce a biomass hydrolysate comprising levulinic acid;
- contacting the biomass hydrolysate with a solvent comprising methyl tetrahydrofuran to produce an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising the levulinic acid and the solvent;
- separating the organic phase from the aqueous phase;
- washing the organic phase with a liquor stream from a paper plant to produce a washed organic phase and a spent washing water, wherein an amount of the liquor stream used to wash the organic phase is 0.5 to 2 times a volume of the organic phase, and wherein at least 50% of the levulinic acid in the organic phase remains in the washed organic phase;
- distilling the washed organic phase to produce a distillate and a distillation residue, wherein water is added to the washed organic phase prior to or during distillation of the washed organic phase;
- and
- separating levulinic acid from at least one of the distillate and the distillation residue.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.