Biomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals

Recent Advances in Development of Platform Chemicals

S. Saravanamurugan, Hu Li, Anders Riisager, Ashok Pandey

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9780444643070
• eBook ISBN:
  9780444643087
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Biomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals: Recent Advances in Development of Platform Chemicals provides a detailed overview on the experimentally developed methods that facilitate platform chemicals derivation from biomass-based substrates with robust catalyst systems. In addition, the book highlights the green chemistry approach towards platform chemical production. Chapters discuss platform chemicals and global market volumes, the optimization of process schemes and reaction parameters with respect to achieving a high yield of targeted platform chemicals, such as sugars and furonic compounds by modifying the respective catalytic system, the influence of solvents on reaction selectivity and product distribution, and the long-term stability of employed catalysts. Overall, the objectives of the book are to provide the reader with an understanding of the societal importance of platform chemicals, an assessment of the techno-economic viability of biomass valorization processes, catalyst design for a specific reaction, and the design of a catalytic system. - Covers recent developments on platform chemicals - Provides comprehensive technological developments on specific platform chemicals - Covers organic transformations, catalytic synthesis, thermal stability, reaction parameters and solvent effect - Includes case studies on the production of a number of chemicals, such as Levulinic acid, glycerol, phenol derivatives, and more

Chapter 1

Lignocellulose-derived platform molecules

An introduction

Suhas H. Shinde, Amol Hengne, and Chandrashekhar V. Rode Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India

Abstract

Fossil feedstocks such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal are formed by natural anaerobic decomposition of buried organisms for a period of more than 650 million years. On the other hand, agrobiomass is quick to grow and becomes a renewable source of chemical and fuel production through processing in a biorefinery.

Keywords

Biomass; Biorefinery; Cellulose; Lignocellulose; Petrofinery; Platform molecules

1. Introduction

Fossil feedstocks such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal are formed by natural anaerobic decomposition of buried organisms for a period of more than 650 million years [1]. On the other hand, agrobiomass is quick to grow and becomes a renewable source of chemical and fuel production through processing in a biorefinery (Fig. 1.1).

In the petrochemical industry, organic chemicals such as methanol, olefins (e.g., ethylene, propylene, and butadiene) and aromatics (e.g., benzene, toluene, and xylenes) are produced in large volumes (Fig. 1.2) and they are generally referred to as primary petrochemicals or base chemicals. These base chemicals can be converted into a variety of consumer and industrial products via chemical modifications.

Figure 1.1 Petrorefinery versus biorefinery.

Figure 1.2 Fossil-derived chemical industry.

Presently, the global requirement for energy and chemicals relies entirely on fossil resources; however, these are depleting much faster due to their exponential increase in usage in the transportation and industrial sectors. This eventually translates into serious environmental problems. Fossil fuels are continually being formed via natural processes, but they are not considered as renewable resources because their formation takes place over millions of years [2,3]. Around 21.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per year is expelled into the environment by the burning of fossil fuels. It is estimated that only about half of that amount is being absorbed by natural processes [4]. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The use of nondegradable materials and hazardous, toxic, and polluting chemicals is also on the rise because of developments in industrial processes worldwide. This has surely imposed far-reaching, severe health hazards to human beings and also a threat to the environment. Therefore the primary challenges for scientists and technologists are to look for alternative viable options for fuels, chemicals, and materials. Until now, there has been no single technology that can replace fossil fuels entirely. Therefore attempts are being made to exploit alternate resources to gradually reduce the dependence on fossil resources. Biomass is one of the sustainable alternatives because it is a renewable source of organic carbon and available in high abundance on earth. Biomass comes mainly from dead plants, algae, crops, trees, and marine organisms, and biological waste from households, animals, and food production. Although biomass is available in many forms not all of them are suitable as feedstock for biorefinery. Therefore the biomass being utilized for biorefinery as a feedstock must be cheap, abundantly available, and likely to undergo chemical conversion. Among the several available biomass feedstocks, lignocellulose, chitin, and microalgae are the most accessible for downstream processing.

2. Integrated biorefinery

The term “biorefinery” is primarily defined as complex (fully integrated) systems of sustainable, environmentally and resource-friendly technologies for the comprehensive materials and energy production [5,6]. However, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE), biorefinery is an overall concept of processing plants where biomass feedstock is converted into a wide spectrum of valuable products that are produced from petrochemical refinery [7,8]. The American National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) defines biorefinery as a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and chemicals [9]. The biorefinery, which produces a multitude of fuels and chemical products that are analogous to today's petroleum refinery, is shown in Fig. 1.3. Biorefineries have been identified as the most promising route to the creation of a new domestic biobased industry [10,11].

From the start of the biorefinery concept, several technological advances have been made. Biorefineries are known as generation-I, -II, and -III.

• 1. Generation-I biorefinery: This involves the dry milling of edible grains for ethanol production, which ultimately competes seriously with the food chain. It has a fixed processing capability to produce a certain amount of ethanol and because of that, this technology can be used for restricted purposes only [6].
• 2. Generation-II biorefinery: This is a wet-milling technology using grain feedstock, but it has the capability to produce a variety of end products such...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Series: Biomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Lignocellulose-derived platform molecules: An introduction
• Chapter 2. Glucose oxidation to carboxylic products with chemocatalysts
• Chapter 3. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural—a C6 precursor for fuels and chemicals
• Chapter 4. 2,5-Diformylfuran—an oxidation product of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
• Chapter 5. Advances in the synthesis and application of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid
• Chapter 6. Levulinic acid—a potential keto acid for producing biofuels and chemicals
• Chapter 7. γ-Valerolactone—an excellent solvent and a promising building block
• Chapter 8. Lactic acid/lactates production from biomass over chemocatalytic strategies
• Chapter 9. Sustainable production of sorbitol—a potential hexitol
• Chapter 10. Furfural as a platform chemical: From production to applications
• Chapter 11. Furfural as a renewable chemical platform for furfuryl alcohol production
• Chapter 12. Furfuryl alcohol—a promising platform chemical
• Chapter 13. 5-Ethoxymethylfurfural—a remarkable biofuel candidate
• Chapter 14. Chemocatalytic pathways for high-efficiency production of 2,5-dimethylfuran from biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
• Chapter 15. Catalytic upgrading of glycerol, a promising biodiesel coproduct
• Chapter 16. Sustainable production of biodiesel over heterogeneous acid catalysts
• Chapter 17. Cellulose valorization to potential platform chemicals
• Chapter 18. Phenol derivatives of lignin monomers for aromatic compounds and cycloalkane fuels
• Index