One-pot Conversion of Sago Pith Waste (SPW) into 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural (HMF)

Abstract

Hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) is widely understood to be a robust substitute feedstock for a wide array of petroleum-derived products such as plastic and fuel. Previous research delved into the use of waste (i.e., biomass) to produce HMF. These waste products stemmed from sugarcane bagasse, algae, bread, and banana. Our study is the first to report the use of sago pith waste (SPW), a by-product of the sago starch industry, for HMF production via simultaneous conversion in one pot. The production of HMF in such a manner not only yields an industrially important product (i.e., HMF) but also confers a sustainable waste management solution to the sago starch industry. SPW primarily consists of starch and fiber, and since the density of SPW affects the feed rate of the reactor, it is necessary to optimize the reaction temperature, sample volume, and amount of activated carbon to elucidate reaction conditions with a high HMF yield. By adding activated carbon and sodium chloride into the reaction mixture with a Bronsted-Lewis acid, we obtained 50-60% mole of HMF from SPW in a simultaneous reactor system at 160°C for 8 minutes.