Process for producing levulinic acid, which includes a step of catalytic conversion of a pentose (in particular xylose or arabinose) into furfural in an organic solvent having a boiling temperature from 600C to 220°C. followed b a step of reduction of Furtural to FurfuryI alcohol. In the presence of a Lewis acid a catalyst and a protic solvent. Eventually. Furturyl alcohol is converted into levulinic acid directly or indirectly. by preliminary conversion into a levulinic acid ester and its subsequent hydrolysis. This process has a reduced environmental impact and guarantees satisfactory process yields on an industrial scale. In particular, the process allows to reduce as much as possible the formation of humins, which require complex and costly purification processes and involve a considerable reduction in the levulinic acid yield.
PROCESS FOR PRODUCING LEVULINIC ACID
Alessandro Massi;Daniele Ragno;Graziano Di Carmine;Costanza Leonardi;Olga Bortolini
2021
Abstract
Process for producing levulinic acid, which includes a step of catalytic conversion of a pentose (in particular xylose or arabinose) into furfural in an organic solvent having a boiling temperature from 600C to 220°C. followed b a step of reduction of Furtural to FurfuryI alcohol. In the presence of a Lewis acid a catalyst and a protic solvent. Eventually. Furturyl alcohol is converted into levulinic acid directly or indirectly. by preliminary conversion into a levulinic acid ester and its subsequent hydrolysis. This process has a reduced environmental impact and guarantees satisfactory process yields on an industrial scale. In particular, the process allows to reduce as much as possible the formation of humins, which require complex and costly purification processes and involve a considerable reduction in the levulinic acid yield.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
