Catalytic peroxide fractionation processes for the green biorefinery of wood

Abstract

A kinetic study and optimization of pine wood peroxide fractionation in the medium acetic acid–water over TiO2 catalyst were accomplished for the first time. Kinetic regularities and the product composition of green processes of catalytic peroxide fractionation of softwood (pine, abies, larch) and hardwood (aspen, birch) over 1 wt% TiO2 catalyst in the acetic acid–water medium were compared at the temperature range 70–100 °C. For all type of wood, the processes of peroxide delignification are described by the first order equations and their activation energies are varied at the range 76–94 kJ/mol. According to FTIR, XRD, SEM, NMR data, the cellulosic products of peroxide delignification have a structure similar to microcrystalline cellulose regardless of the nature of wood. Soluble products are presented by organic acid and monosaccharides. The scheme of green biorefinery of pine wood based on extractive-catalytic fractionation of wood biomass on microcrystalline cellulose, hemicelluloses, aromatic and aliphatic acids, monosaccharides, turpentine and rosin was developed. Green and non-toxic reagents and solid catalyst are used in the developed scheme of biorefinery.