Production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid via oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over Pt/C in a continuous packed bed reactor

Abstract

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a monomer that can be used to produce bioplastic, which has gained increasing interest worldwide. The production of FDCA from catalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is regarded as the major route of the utilization of 5-HMF. In this work, FDCA was produced in a tubular reactor packed with Pt/C. The effects of operating parameters including reaction temperature, molar ratio of 5-HMF/NaOH, volumetric flow rate of oxygen, pressure, and catalyst amount on the yield of product were investigated. High oxygen supply provided by high pressure or high oxygen flow rate effectively decreased the yield of FDCA. The optimal conditions were at the reaction temperature of 90 °C, the molar ratio between 5-HMF and NaOH of 1 : 8, the oxygen flow rate of 33.9 mL min⁻¹ and atmospheric pressure, providing the yield of FDCA of 86.4% and full conversion of 5-HMF. The productivity of 0.1266 kg_FDCA kg_cat.⁻¹ h⁻¹ was achieved with the residence time of 0.285 s, which was considerably shorter than the reaction times reported in the literature. These results can be used as a foundation for further investigation and for developing a compact processing unit for the production of FDCA.