Abstract
This study optimizes furfural production from pentose released in the liquid hydrolysate of hardwood using an aqueous biphasic system. Dilute acid pretreatment with 4% sulfuric acid was conducted to extract pentose from liquid Quercus mongolica hydrolysate. To produce furfural from xylose, a xylose standard solution with the same acid concentration of the liquid hydrolysate and extracting solvent (tetrahydrofuran) were applied to the aqueous biphasic system. A response surface methodology was adopted to optimize furfural production in the aqueous biphasic system. A maximum furfural yield of 72.39% was achieved at optimal conditions as per the RSM; a reaction temperature of 170 °C, reaction time of 120 min, and a xylose concentration of 10 g/L. Tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and dimethyl sulfoxide were evaluated to understand the effects of the solvent on furfural production. Tetrahydrofuran generated the highest furfural yield, while DMSO gave the lowest yield. A furfural yield of 68.20% from pentose was achieved in the liquid hydrolysate of Quercus mongolica under optimal conditions using tetrahydrofuran as the extracting solvent. The aqueous and tetrahydrofuran fractions were separated from the aqueous biphasic solvent by salting out using sodium chloride, and 94.63% of the furfural produced was drawn out through two extractions using tetrahydrofuran.
Highlights
Lignocellulosic biomass is considered as an alternative energy resource that can mitigate the climate change associated with the excessive use of fossil fuels [1]
This study aims to optimize furfural production from the dilute acid hydrolysate of Quercus mongolica
Quercus mongolica is chemically composed of 46.67% of glucose, 19.14% of xylose, mannose and galactose (XMG), 0.77% of arabinose, 22.56% of acid insoluble lignin (AIL), 3.19% of acid soluble lignin (ASL), 2.06% of extractives, and 0.05% of ash
Summary
Lignocellulosic biomass is considered as an alternative energy resource that can mitigate the climate change associated with the excessive use of fossil fuels [1]. Hemicellulose and lignin, the other main components of biomass, combine complex and dense forms of cellulose [3]. This physical barrier makes lignocellulosic biomass chemically and microbiologically resistant [4]. Dilute acid pretreatment is considered to be a leading pretreatment technology. This is because it is able to enhance the total sugar yield of the process by solubilizing and converting hemicellulose to pentose [6]. As the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is highly demanding in terms of energy and additional processes compared to edible biomass, its economic feasibility is reduced [7]. Utilization of all the main components of biomass to generate valuable products is essential to make this resource more economically feasible
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