Economical process for the co-production of renewable polymers and value-added chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has attracted considerable attention as a building block for renewable polymers, as it can substitute conventional petroleum-derived terephthalic acid as a monomer for the synthesis of polyethylene terephthalate. In this study, we develop a new process for the co-production of FDCA, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA), and activated carbon from lignocellulosic biomass to make the production of renewable plastics cost-competitive by generating high-value chemicals at the same time. Through an effective pretreatment technology employing a mixture of gamma-valerolactone and H2O as a solvent, biomass is separated into its components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), and then the cellulose and hemicellulose can be converted to FDCA and THFA, respectively. We designed separation subsystems to recover the solvents and purify the final products. Pinch analysis was conducted to form a heat exchanger network for reducing utility requirements. In techno-economic analysis, the proposed process was compared with a different strategy (Strategy B) producing FDCA and activated carbon but not THFA. The proposed process is economically superior to Strategy B, meaning that the production of THFA from hemicellulose has a positive effect on process economics rather than being used for heat and electricity. We conducted an uncertainty analysis using the Monte-Carlo simulation method for the minimum selling price of FDCA to quantify the risks of the proposed process and provide a more realistic estimation to decision makers. Furthermore, the sustainability of the proposed process was demonstrated via life-cycle assessment.