Abstract
Furfural is a base chemical with a wide range of applications and with a great opportunity for market growth in the near term. Derived from biomass, its production may be incorporated to the Brazilian chemical industry using sugarcane bagasse as feedstock. In this context, the integration of a furfural plant to a first generation bioethanol facility, within the biorefinery concept, was simulated considering different scenarios compared to an autonomous bioethanol distillery. The economic analysis of the different scenarios showed that the revenues from furfural commercialization increase the internal rate of return of the project for maximum furfural production (22.0%) in comparison to a conventional ethanol distillery (13.5%), despite the decrease in electricity output. Moreover, the economic analysis of the results pointed out the possibility of lowering furfural prices to levels that could lead to its use as a precursor for biofuels.
Highlights
Nowadays, green chemistry is a widely discussed subject in academia and industry
Note that only bagasse is used as feedstock for furfural production, while the recovered straw is burned in the cogeneration of heat and power (CHP) unit along with solid residues produced in the Rosenlew reactor
This study assessed the integration of the Rosenlew process for production of furfural to a Brazilian ethanol distillery, based on operational conditions of existing processes
Summary
Green chemistry is a widely discussed subject in academia and industry. Chemical compounds of renewable origin are gaining market share in order to reduce pressure on oil reserves and due to lower environmental impacts compared to their fossil counterparts (Moulijn et al, 2012).This trend comes as a result of several factors influencing human life and economy worldwide: climate change, instability of oil prices, the search for alternative chemical sources and the vision of ensuring energy supply security for the ever-growing world demand, for instance. The novelty consists of incorporating an existing technology for furfural production into a modern Brazilian biorefinery in order to use bagasse for a higher potential product value destination and to improve overall process efficiency through plant integration.
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