Green chemicals : A kinetic study on the conversion of glucose to levulinic acid

Levulinic acid has been identified as a promising green, biomass derived platform chemical. A kinetic study on one of the key steps in the conversion of biomass to levulinic acid, i.e., the acid catalysed decomposition of glucose to levulinic acid has been performed. The experiments were performed i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical engineering research & design 2006-05, Vol.84 (5), p.339-349
Main Authors: GIRISUTA, B, JANSSEN, L. P. B. M, HEERES, H. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Catalysis
Catalytic reactions
Chemical engineering
Chemistry
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
Reactors
Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
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Summary:Levulinic acid has been identified as a promising green, biomass derived platform chemical. A kinetic study on one of the key steps in the conversion of biomass to levulinic acid, i.e., the acid catalysed decomposition of glucose to levulinic acid has been performed. The experiments were performed in a broad temperature window (140-200 deg C), using sulphuric acid as the catalyst (0.05-1 M) and a initial glucose concentration between 0.1 and 1M. A kinetic model of the reaction sequence was developed including the kinetics for the intermediate 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF) and humins byproducts using a power-law approach. The yield of levulinic acid is favoured in dilute glucose solution at high acid concentration. On the basis of the kinetic results, continuous reactor configurations with a high extent of back-mixing are preferred to achieve high levulinic acid yields.
ISSN:0263-8762
1744-3563
DOI:10.1205/cherd05038