Biomass refining by selective chemical reactions
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorJ. Michael Robinson
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for the acid hydrolysis of carbohydrates in or from biomass, using a solvent system including an aqueous ether, where the ether form a majority of the system, which affords high yields to the platform chemicals such as 2-furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). The later can also undergo a domino reaction to chemicals including levulinic acid, particularly with oxygenated anions and greater water content. A total dissolution and reaction of biomass occurs under a range of relatively mild conditions (combined Severity range ˜2.2-2.6). Lignin and lignin derived products can be easily separated by precipitation.
Claims16
A process to hydrolyze naturally occurring carbohydrates in or from biomass sources into versatile platform chemicals, where the process comprises the step of:
- contacting a source of naturally occurring carbohydrates with an acid in the presence of a solvent system comprising from about 60 to 99% of an ethereal solvent, from about 1 to 40% of water, and a co-solvent comprising a C2 to C4 carboxylic acid at a temperature and pressure and for a time sufficient to form monomeric sugars, which are then rapidly and/or simultaneously converted into a platform chemical or a plurality of platform chemicals, where an acid concentration is between about 0.02 M and about 1 M and where the platform chemicals include 2-furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and levulinic acid with the co-production of formic acid, or mixtures or combinations thereof.
A method comprising contacting a source of hydrolysable carbohydrate material in the presence of a solvent system comprising from about 60 to 99% of an ethereal solvent, from about 1 to 40% of water, and , a co-solvent comprising a C2 to C4 carboxylic acid and an acid at a temperature and pressure and for a time sufficient to achieve a desired degree of conversion of the hydrolysable carbohydrate polymers into monomeric sugars, which are then rapidly and/or simultaneously converted into to desired platform chemical or plurality of platform chemicals, where an acid concentration is between about 0.02 M and about 1 M and where the platform chemicals include 2-furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and levulinic acid with the co-production of formic acid, or mixtures or combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.