Furfural production from xylose + glucose feedings and simultaneous N2-stripping

Abstract

The current furfural manufacturing process is based on homogeneous catalysts as well as steam as the stripping agent. Novel xylose-dehydration research studies include heterogeneous catalysts with high acidity and tailored selectivity. This work aims to evaluate the effect of additional glucose with the xylose feeding during simultaneous N₂-stripping of furfural catalyzed by ion-exchange resins. Given the low batch performance of Amberlyst 70, the N₂-stripping data showed high furfural yields and selectivity in the condensate stream. The different continuous feeding configurations showed that xylose/glucose ratios similar to the real pentosan-rich biomass could be fed achieving furfural yields of 75% at 200 °C. Moreover, the proposed study serves as a preliminary study to achieve high xylose conversion and relatively low glucose dehydration rates, showing its potential as a possible future process for the upgrading of carbohydrates to furan-based fuel additives.