Process for producing furfural and catalyst for use in same
AssigneesMonash University, Advanced Fuel Innovation Pty Ltd
InventorsQiaoqiao Zhou, Lian Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein is a process for producing furfural from lignocellulosic biomass or an extract thereof, such as an extract rich in saccharides, using solid zinc sulfate-rich catalysts to catalyse conversion to furfural. Also provided herein are zinc sulfate-rich catalysts, and processes for producing zinc sulfate and zinc sulfate-rich catalysts from tyre char.
Claims60
A process for producing furfural comprising the steps of:
- pyrolyzing a lignocellulosic material or a fraction thereof and producing furfural;
- wherein the production of furfural is catalysed by a solid zinc sulfate-rich catalyst.
A process for producing solid zinc sulfate comprising the steps of:
- contacting tyre char with aqueous sulfuric acid and producing a mixture of aqueous zinc sulfate and solid tyre char residue;
- separating aqueous zinc sulfate from solid tyre char residue;
- and
- recovering solid zinc sulfate from the aqueous zinc sulfate.
A process for producing a transition metal-doped zinc sulfate, comprising:
- contacting tyre char with aqueous sulfuric acid and producing a mixture of aqueous zinc sulfate and solid tyre char residue;
- separating aqueous zinc sulfate from solid tyre char residue;
- recovering solid zinc sulfate from the aqueous zinc sulfate;
- contacting zinc sulfate with a salt of a further transition metal;
- and
- producing a transition metal-doped solid zinc sulfate.
A process for regenerating an active transition metal-doped zinc sulfate catalyst which has been used for producing furfural from lignocellulosic material or a fraction thereof, comprising subjecting the transition metal-doped zinc sulfate to a reduction step, by exposure to hydrogen at a temperature in the range of from about 400 to about 800° C.
A transition metal-doped solid zinc sulfate, wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of palladium, iron, nickel and cobalt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.