Process for preparing furfural from biomass
First Claim
1. A method for producing furfural from biomass material containing pentosan:
- (a) providing a biomass containing pentosan;
(b) contacting the biomass with a solution containing at least one α
-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby hydrolyzing the biomass to produce a product stream containing at least one C5-carbohydrate compound in monomeric and/or oligomeric form, and α
-hydroxysulfonic acid;
(c) separating at least a portion of the α
-hydroxysulfonic acid from the product stream containing at least one C5-carbohydrate compound to provide an acid-removed product stream containing the at least one C5-carbohydrate compound and recovering the a-hydroxysulfonic acid in its component form;
(d) separating a liquid stream containing said at least one C5-carbohydrate compound and a wet solid stream containing remaining biomass from the acid-removed product;
(e) dehydrating the C5-carbohydrate compound in at least a first portion of the liquid stream in the presence of a dehydration acid, in a biphasic reaction medium comprising an aqueous phase and a water-immiscible organic phase, at a temperature in the range of from about 100°
C. to about 250°
C.;
(f) separating an organic phase stream containing furfural and an aqueous stream containing the acid from the dehydration product stream;
(g) recycling at least a portion of the aqueous stream or a second portion of the liquid stream to step (b);
(h) recovering furfural from the organic phase stream.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Furfural is produced from biomass material containing pentosan, in high yields, in a production process comprising treating the biomass with a solution containing at least one α-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby hydrolyzing the biomass to produce a product stream containing at least one C5-carbohydrate compound in monomeric and/or oligomeric form, and dehydrating the C5-carbohydrate compound in the presence of an acid, in a biphasic reaction medium comprising an aqueous phase and a water-immiscible organic phase, at a temperature in the range of from about 100° C. to about 250° C. to produce a dehydration product stream containing furfural. An aqueous stream is separated from the dehydration product that can be optionally recycled to the hydrolysis step.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for producing furfural from biomass material containing pentosan:
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(a) providing a biomass containing pentosan; (b) contacting the biomass with a solution containing at least one α
-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby hydrolyzing the biomass to produce a product stream containing at least one C5-carbohydrate compound in monomeric and/or oligomeric form, and α
-hydroxysulfonic acid;(c) separating at least a portion of the α
-hydroxysulfonic acid from the product stream containing at least one C5-carbohydrate compound to provide an acid-removed product stream containing the at least one C5-carbohydrate compound and recovering the a-hydroxysulfonic acid in its component form;(d) separating a liquid stream containing said at least one C5-carbohydrate compound and a wet solid stream containing remaining biomass from the acid-removed product; (e) dehydrating the C5-carbohydrate compound in at least a first portion of the liquid stream in the presence of a dehydration acid, in a biphasic reaction medium comprising an aqueous phase and a water-immiscible organic phase, at a temperature in the range of from about 100°
C. to about 250°
C.;(f) separating an organic phase stream containing furfural and an aqueous stream containing the acid from the dehydration product stream; (g) recycling at least a portion of the aqueous stream or a second portion of the liquid stream to step (b); (h) recovering furfural from the organic phase stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification