Processes for converting furfurals

A process for producing 5-methyl furfural (MF), the process comprising:

• reacting a 5-chloromethylfurfural (CMF) stock having CMF, organic soluble materials (OSMS), and an organic solvent, with an amine base additive in the presence of hydrogen over Pd catalyst initially present at a molar ratio of 5,000 to 150,000 CMF to Pd catalyst, to produce an effluent having MF, OSMs, the organic solvent, and at least one amine-HCl salt, wherein the reaction proceeds at at least one of a temperature of 50° C. to 150° C. and a hydrogen pressure of 115-515 psi;
• thermally cracking the effluent to produce a recovered HCl product, an organic solvent distillate product, and an MF-rich bottoms product having MF, a recovered amine, and OSMs;
• distilling the MF-rich bottoms product to produce an MF distillate product and an amine-rich bottoms product containing the amine base additive and the OSMs;
• distilling the amine-rich bottoms product to produce an amine base additive distillate produce and an OSMs bottoms product.