Effects of Soluble Lignin on the Formic Acid-Catalyzed Formation of Furfural: A Case Study for the Upgrading of Hemicellulose

Karla Dussan, Buana Girisuta, Marystela Lopes, James J. Leahy, Michael H.B. Hayes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A comprehensive study is presented on the conversion of hemicellulose sugars in liquors obtained from the fractionation of Miscanthus, spruce bark, sawdust, and hemp by using formic acid. Experimental tests with varying temperature (130-170 ;°C), formic acid concentration (10-80 wt %), carbohydrate concentrations, and lignin separation were carried out, and experimental data were compared with predictions obtained by reaction kinetics developed in a previous study. The conversions of xylose and arabinose into furfural were inherently affected by the presence of polymeric soluble lignin, decreasing the maximum furfural yields observed experimentally by up to 24 %. These results were also confirmed in synthetic mixtures of pentoses with Miscanthus and commercial alkali lignin. This observation was attributed to side reactions involving intermediate stable sugar species reacting with solubilized lignin during the conversion of xylose into furfural.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)492-504
Number of pages13
JournalChemSusChem
Volume9
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Mar 2016

Keywords

  • biomass
  • carbohydrates
  • kinetics
  • lignin
  • synthesis design

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