Lignin-based solvents and methods for their preparation
First Claim
1. A process for converting biomass into furfural, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a pentosan-containing biomass material;
(b) subjecting the pentosan-containing biomass material to an acid catalyzed digestion process in a digestion vessel at a temperature greater than about 100°
C. for a period of time sufficient to produce a digested product stream comprising C5-carbohydrates and solids comprising cellulose;
(c) separating the digested product stream into a liquid product stream and a solid product stream wherein;
(i) the liquid product stream comprises carbohydrate compounds, of which at least 50 wt % of the carbohydrate compounds are C5-carbohydrate compounds, based on the weight of carbohydrate compounds in the liquid product stream,(ii) the solid product stream comprises solids comprising lignin and cellulose;
(d) contacting the solid product stream with an organic solvent, thereby converting at least part of the lignin to a phenolic solvent, to produce solids and a solvent product stream comprising the phenolic solvent;
(e) subjecting the C5-carbohydrate in the liquid product stream to a dehydration reaction in a reaction vessel at a temperature in the range of from about 100°
C. to about 250°
C. in the presence of an acid catalyst and a biphasic mixture comprising an aqueous phase and a water-immiscible organic phase, which comprises at least a portion of the phenolic solvent produced in step (d), for a period of time sufficient to produce furfural or a furan derivative;
(f) retrieving from the reaction vessel a dehydration product stream comprising water, organic solvent and furfural, and separating the dehydration product stream into an aqueous recycle stream and an organic product stream comprising furfural;
(g) recovering the furfural from the organic product stream by at least one separation process; and
(h) recycling the organic product stream from step (g) back to the reaction vessel in step (e).
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Accused Products
Abstract
Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide a process for converting biomass into furfural. The process may include subjecting a pentosan-containing biomass material to an acid catalyzed digestion process in a digestion vessel to produce a digested product stream comprising C5-carbohydrates and solids comprising cellulose. The digested product stream may be separated into a liquid product stream and a solid product stream comprising lignin and cellulose. The solids product stream may be contacted with water and an organic solvent, thereby converting at least part of the lignin to a phenolic solvent. The C5-carbohydrate in the liquid product stream may be subjected to a dehydration reaction in the presence of an acid catalyst and a biphasic mixture comprising an aqueous phase and a water-immiscible organic phase, wherein the water-immiscible organic phase includes at least a portion of the phenolic solvent, to produce furfural or a furan derivative.
29 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A process for converting biomass into furfural, the process comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a pentosan-containing biomass material; (b) subjecting the pentosan-containing biomass material to an acid catalyzed digestion process in a digestion vessel at a temperature greater than about 100°
C. for a period of time sufficient to produce a digested product stream comprising C5-carbohydrates and solids comprising cellulose;(c) separating the digested product stream into a liquid product stream and a solid product stream wherein; (i) the liquid product stream comprises carbohydrate compounds, of which at least 50 wt % of the carbohydrate compounds are C5-carbohydrate compounds, based on the weight of carbohydrate compounds in the liquid product stream, (ii) the solid product stream comprises solids comprising lignin and cellulose; (d) contacting the solid product stream with an organic solvent, thereby converting at least part of the lignin to a phenolic solvent, to produce solids and a solvent product stream comprising the phenolic solvent; (e) subjecting the C5-carbohydrate in the liquid product stream to a dehydration reaction in a reaction vessel at a temperature in the range of from about 100°
C. to about 250°
C. in the presence of an acid catalyst and a biphasic mixture comprising an aqueous phase and a water-immiscible organic phase, which comprises at least a portion of the phenolic solvent produced in step (d), for a period of time sufficient to produce furfural or a furan derivative;(f) retrieving from the reaction vessel a dehydration product stream comprising water, organic solvent and furfural, and separating the dehydration product stream into an aqueous recycle stream and an organic product stream comprising furfural; (g) recovering the furfural from the organic product stream by at least one separation process; and (h) recycling the organic product stream from step (g) back to the reaction vessel in step (e). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification