Abstract
Carbohydrates and hexose-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) are platform chemicals for the synthesis of sustainable binders. New, greener approaches aim at the development of production systems, which minimize process steps and avoid organic solvents or other auxiliaries that could interfere with subsequent resin synthesis. In our work, carbohydrate solutions rich in 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) were produced using a continuous-flow microreactor and diluted H2SO4 as the catalyst. After optimization of the process conditions (temperature, reaction time, catalyst content), a 5-HMF yield of 49% was obtained at a low reaction time of 0.6 min and a catalyst concentration of 1% at 175 °C and 17 bar pressure. Extensive rehydration of the product was avoided by efficient immediate cooling of the reaction solution. The stability of the reaction system was improved by increasing the inner diameter of the capillary in the flow reactor to 2 mm. Advantageously, the obtained reaction mixtures are used directly as precursors in the development of sustainable binder systems, without the need of additional purification, filtration, or extraction steps.
Highlights
Today’s chemical industry still strongly relies on oil and other fossil resources as the main source of bulk chemicals and energy
As the conversion of fructose to 5-HMF is faster and more efficient than the conversion of glucose,[3] which was confirmed in first-batch experiments, fructose was chosen as the starting material for all conversion experiments
Higher HMF yield and selectivity can be achieved by the use of alternative solvents or biphasic reaction systems,[3] the above-mentioned reasons advocated for water as the reaction solvent
Summary
Today’s chemical industry still strongly relies on oil and other fossil resources as the main source of bulk chemicals and energy. Biomass is the only widely available carbon source besides oil, gas and coal, and 75% of the available biomass are carbohydrates, such as starch, cellulose, or hemicelluloses.[1]. The conversion of these carbohydrates into valuable chemicals, e.g., furanic compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), has huge industrial potential. It has been called a “sleeping giant” along with furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a compound that can be derived directly from 5HMF and may be a renewable alternative for terephthalic acid in polyester or polyamide production.[2]
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