Raw Materials For Chemical Industry Research Articles

Theoretical study on coal gasification behavior in CO2 atmosphere driven by slag waste heat

Blast furnace slag, a main by-product of ironmaking process, contained high-quality sensible heat, accounting for almost 30 % of total energy consumption in iron and steel industry. This paper proposed CO2 coal gasification method aimed at recovering waste heat from blast furnace slag. Based on Gibbs free energy minimization, influence of temperature, CO2/C, pressure and steam were investigated. Under optimal operating conditions at 1023–1198 K, CO2/C of 1.5–2.0 and atmospheric pressure, total amount of syngas was 2.78 kmol, with 67.1 % CO and 8.79 % H2. Addition of steam could adjust compositions of syngas. H2/CO of syngas reached 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 when H2O(g)/CO2 were 1.45/0.55, 1.73/0.27 and 1.95/0.05, which could be used as organic raw materials for chemical industry. Meanwhile, energy and exergy efficiencies of coal gasification were found to be 63.84 % and 62.58 %, respectively, under optimal operating conditions. For different syngas products, when H2O(g)/CO2 was 1.95/0.05, exergy loss was the lowest, with internal and external exergy loss amounting to 31.80 % and 2.16 % respectively. These works provided theoretical guidance on use of the coal gasification reaction for recovering waste heat from blast furnace slag and contributed to the achievement of the strategic goal of CO2 energy saving and emission reduction.

Molecular sieving of iso-butene from C4 olefins with simultaneous high 1,3-butadiene and n-butene uptakes

Iso-butene (iso-C4H8) is an important raw material in chemical industry, whereas its efficient separation remains challenging due to similar molecular properties of C4 olefins. The ideal adsorbent should possess simultaneous high uptakes for 1,3-butadiene (C4H6) and n-butene (n-C4H8) counterparts, endowing high efficiency for iso-C4H8 separation in adsorption columns. Herein, a sulfate-pillared adsorbent, SOFOUR-DPDS-Ni (DPDS = 4,4′-dipyridyldisulfide), is reported for the efficient iso-C4H8 separation from binary and ternary C4 olefin mixtures. The rigidity in pore sizes and shapes of SOFOUR-DPDS-Ni exerts the molecular sieving of iso-C4H8, while exhibiting high C4H6 and n-C4H8 uptakes. The benchmark Henry’s selectivity for C4H6/iso-C4H8 (2321.8) and n-C4H8/iso-C4H8 (233.5) outperforms most reported adsorbents. Computational simulations reveal the strong interactions for C4H6 and n-C4H8. Furthermore, dynamic breakthrough experiments demonstrate the direct production of high-purity iso-C4H8 (>99.9%) from C4H6/iso-C4H8 (50/50, v/v), n-C4H8/iso-C4H8 (50/50, v/v), and C4H6/n-C4H8/iso-C4H8 (50/15/35, v/v/v) gas-mixtures.

Regeneration of sintered platinum at mild temperature for propane dehydrogenation

Pt has been extensively used as active site for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) to propene, a crucial important raw material in chemical industry. Nevertheless, industrial Pt-based catalyst for PDH suffers from sintering at high temperature, which requires a harsh regeneration process in the presence of purified air and hydrochloric acid (HCl) at high temperature (500 °C). Herein, we propose a robust strategy for regenerating sintered Pt-based catalyst with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and HCl at mild temperature (70 °C), where the oxidation with H2O2 and the chlorination with HCl can synergistically weaken Pt − Pt bond to form soluble species, realizing the redispersion of sintered Pt. The current strategy has been successfully implemented on Pt-Ga2O3/S40 and industrial Pt-Sn/Al2O3 for PDH, where the optimal propane conversion reaches > 72 % at a propene selectivity of ∼ 96 % at 600 °C, approaching the thermodynamic equilibrium. Impressively, the universality of the current strategy has been validated by regenerating sintered Pd-, Au-, Ir-, Rh-, and Ru at mild temperature. We believe this work provides a robust and industrially viable strategy for regenerating noble metal-based catalysts, which will capture extensive and immediate attention in chemical industry.

BIOETHYLENE IS A PROMISING SOURCE OF ENERGY AND RAW MATERIALS FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

The modern development of energy, chemical technology and other industrial production sectors is largely focused on processes using renewable raw materials. In the structure of non-traditional energy sources the lion’s share belongs to biomass. The paper provides an prospects assessment for using the available, predominantly solid Ukrainian bioresources, total available amount of which as wood, grain straw and other domestic and industrial organic waste is more than 120 million tons per year, to meet state’s needs both for lubricant and fuel materials and raw materials for chemical industry. A following sequence of transformations for this problem solution were investigated: cellulose of the original raw biomaterial — glucose — bioethanol — ethylene. The option of increasing the effectiveness of the latter stage was considered of obtaining bioethane from bioethanol due to the use of the latest catalysts. The results both physical and computational study of bioethanol dehydration process are given, that allowed to reveal the peculiarities of process kinetics when proposed catalyst using. It is shown that, in addition to reducing energy consumption, the catalyst provides 91 % selectivity for ethylene at ~95 % of the biomethanol conversion rate. The initial data for the design of highly efficient catalytic processes and reactors for the dehydration of bioethanol to ethylene were obtained. Bibl. 20, Fig. 2, Tab. 3.

Influence of Mustard Oil Biodiesel Blends in Common Rail Direct Injection Diesel Engine on Its Performance and Emission Characteristics

Almost majority of petroleum produce is utilized for transportation, generation of heat and electricity, and balance used as a raw material in chemical industry. With increasing energy demand, limited fossil fuel sources, study is directed towards alternate renewable fuels. Biodiesel extracted from Vegetable Oil, is becoming a popular alternative propulsion fuel. Experiments were conducted using different blends from Mustard Oil biodiesel mixed with diesel in concentration of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, to determine the properties of these biodiesel blends and evaluate the performance as well as emission characteristics of a CRDI Engine. The trials were conducted for various load conditions viz. 0 kg, 3 kg, 6 kg, 9 kg and 12 kg, for two different compression ratios 16 and 18. The performance assessments indicators like brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, mechanical efficiency, air-fuel ratio were examined. The highest magnitude of mechanical efficiency observed is 59.14% for Mustard Oil Biodiesel 10% Blend (MuB10) for 12 kg, engine load and compression ratio 16. The emission indicating parameters oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and smoke were scrutinized throughout trials. The result of this investigation exposed that blend B10 has given favorable outcomes as compared to pure diesel for CRDI engine performance indicating parameters and has fewer emissions as compared to that of pure diesel.

Water-Soluble Pd6L3 Molecular Bowl for Separation of Phenanthrene from a Mixture of Isomeric Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

Phenanthrene is a high-value raw material in chemical industries. Separation of phenanthrene from isomeric anthracene continues to be a big challenge in the industry due to their very similar physical properties. Herein, we report the self-assembly of a water-soluble molecular bowl (TB) from a phenothiazine-based unsymmetrical terapyridyl ligand (L) and a cis-blocked 90° Pd(II) acceptor. TB featured an unusual bowl-like topology, with a wide rim diameter and a hydrophobic inner cavity fenced by the aromatic rings of the ligand. The above-mentioned features of TB allow it to bind polyaromatic hydrocarbons in its confined cavity. TB shows a higher affinity for phenanthrene over its isomer anthracene in water, which enables it to separate phenanthrene with ∼93% purity from an equimolar mixture of phenanthrene and anthracene. TB is also able to extract pyrene with around ∼90% purity from an equimolar mixture of coronene, perylene, and pyrene. Moreover, TB can be reused for several cycles without significant degradation in its performance as an extracting agent. This clean strategy of separation of phenanthrene and pyrene from a mixture of hydrophobic hydrocarbons by aqueous extraction is noteworthy.

Increasing of efficiency of fermentation process of organic substrates for intensification of methanogeneration

The prospects of increasing the efficiency of fermentation process of organic substrates to ensure the maximum yield of biogas and increase the economic efficiency of processing of organic sewage sludge are considered. Biogas, as an analogue of natural gas, is used in production of thermal and electrical energy, as transport motor fuel, as a raw material for chemical industry.
 An analysis of trends in intensification of methane fermentation processes was carried out. A promising way to increase productivity of methane generation process during processing of organic matter is to increase the energy saturation of an organic substrate and its preliminary treatment. One of the approaches aimed at intensifying methane generation is use of organic waste as an auxiliary substrate for fermentation of sewage sludge – a process known as co-fermentation.
 The sediments of primary and secondary settling tanks of the biological wastewater treatment complex were studied. According to results of tests, it was noted that ratio of carbon and nitrogen in the studied excess activated sludge is 4–5, in the mixture of primary and secondary sediment – 5–6, in sediment from sludge sites – 6–10, which is significantly less than desired ratio of 20:1, which limits the negative impact of increased nitrogen content in the organic substrate for methane fermentation. According to obtained data, it can be predicted that nitrogen-containing compounds present in sewage sludge will contribute to a microbiological process of formation of nitrogen-containing reduced products, which reduce output of methane during methanogenesis.
 The expediency of enriching the inoculated biocenosis with hydrolytic enzyme preparations or microorganisms with high hydrolytic activity is shown, given the fact that activated sludge has a lower hydrolytic activity than enzyme preparations isolated from the same sludge, as well as than some bacteria, and even more so microscopic fungi. This was caused by presence of inert organic and inorganic mass, dead microorganisms and those with low hydrolytic activity in the sludge biomass. It is also possible to increase speed of the first phase of sediment fermentation due to alkaline pretreatment of the substrate mixture.

Can we achieve efficient photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane to methanol: A perspective on oxygen reaction pathways

As the primary component of natural gas, methane is an essential raw material in chemical industries. Meanwhile, it is also a powerful greenhouse gas that causes severe global warming effects. On-site conversion of methane to value-added chemicals and fuels, especially transportable and storable methanol, is a dream reaction. However, traditional methane oxidation methods will consume huge amounts of energy and lead to carbon emission. Utilizing only renewable solar energy, photocatalysis has attracted increasing interest for methane oxidation to methanol due to its low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. In this work, a perspective on photocatalytic methane oxidation to methanol is proposed by analyzing the oxygen source of methanol, which can be a new strategy to modulate the methane oxidation reaction. It provides a new angle to understand the mechanism of the reaction, and inspirations for optimizing the efficiency and selectivity of methanol production from photocatalytic methane oxidation.

A BaCO3 Nanomaterial for Pyrolysis of Sustainable Waste and Virgin Polystyrene into Green Aromatic Derivatives

AbstractGreen aromatic derivatives (GADs) were obtained from waste polystyrene thermocol (WPST) and virgin polystyrene (VPS) through pyrolysis using BaCO3 (Barium carbonate nanomaterial). BaCO3 nanomaterial was synthesized in the laboratory, and their properties were characterized through XRD, EDX, and SEM. WPST and VPS were analyzed through TGA for thermal stability, and FT‐IR determined the functional groups. GADs obtained from WPST and VPS were analyzed through GC‐MS‐MS and FT‐IR. GADs were analyzed through GC‐MS‐MS and found their results were aromatic derivatives (99.29 % from VPS, while 88.77 % from WPST) and aliphatic (0.29 % from VPS, while 11.23 % from WPST). In the first experiment, 95 g VPS plastics and 5 g BaCO3 were used; the recovered quantities of liquid GADs, py‐gases, and residues amount to 90 %, 9.9 %, and 0.12 %. In the second experiment, 93 % liquid GADs, 6.85 % py‐gases (pyrolysis gases), and 0.15 % residue from 70 g VPS+20 g WTPS and 10 g BaCO3 were obtained. In the third experiment, 85 % GADs, 14.82 % py‐gases, and 0.18 % residue from 100 g WTPS without catalyst were collected. GADs were successfully obtained without any problem. GADs can be used as raw materials in chemical industries and refineries.

Effect of P2O5 on the viscosity of yellow phosphorus slag in electric furnace at high temperatures

Phosphorus is an important raw material for chemical industry. The traditional production method is to heat phosphate rock, silica and coke in an electric furnace, and produce phosphorus by reduction reaction at high temperatures. Slag discharge is one of the key processes for the operation of electric furnace, so it is important to understand the flow behavior of phosphorus bearing slag. In this work, we investigated the effect of P2O5 on slag structure and viscosity in SiO2-CaO-Al2O3-MgO-P2O5 system by experiments. Results shows that as the P2O5 content increases, slag viscosity slightly increases at high temperatures, because the addition of P2O5 increases the polymerization degree of the slag. However, when the temperature is below the liquidus temperature (Tliq), the slag viscosity decreases. The increase of P2O5 content led to a decrease in the n value of nC2S-C3P solid solution and the average particle size of solid phase, which is detrimental to the gehlenite formation. In order to avoid the effect of fluctuation in the P2O5 content on slag discharge process in electric furnace, the discharge temperatures of slag should be higher than Tliq of the slag or the content of silicon and calcium should be 85 wt%.

Hydrological effects of the underground hydraulic curtain with different design parameters based on numerical modeling for a co-exploitation of coal and uranium

Coal is both the most widely utilized traditional energy resource and a raw material for chemical industries. Uranium is an important nuclear fuel used to produce clear electric energy. The coal mine is widely distributed, while the uranium deposit is scarce. However, a large storage of both the two ore deposits, with the uranium deposit lying above the coal seam, was found in the Tarangaole coalfield in Ordos Basin, China, which caused a co-exploitation of coal and uranium with a high risk of radioactive pollution. A hydraulic curtain approach was proposed to realize the safe co-exploitation; the hydrological effects of separately mining the two ores and different-design hydraulic curtain, including different shapes (polyline, straight and arc), different locations (100 m, 300 m and 500 m from uranium deposit), number of injection wells (167, 207 and 247), spacing between injection wells (50 m, 100 m and 150 m), single well injection rates (50, 75, 100 m3/d), and injection positions (Zhiuo-Yanan Formation and Zhiluo Formation), were quantified by numerical simulation. The water level of groundwater dropped from 72 to 300 m with separately mining Plan A-D at the end of the 20th year. The drawdown in the uranium deposit of the polyline curtain shape was only 99.49 m, which was half that of separating coal mining and also smaller than that of the straight and arc-shape curtains. 167 injection wells, 50 m injection well spacing, 100 m3/d single well injection rate, and injection location in Zhiluo-Yanan Formation were the best combination to reach a high injection efficiency of water and protect from the minimum rise of water level (8.69 m). The hydraulic curtain of the polyline, 8300 m length, and 100 m distance to the uranium deposit had a high feasibility for the two resources recovery together. Compared with separate mining plans, the advantages of the hydraulic curtain method could make the two ore deposits not influenced by each other in the co-exploitation of the same time. This study offers a new way to make combined uranium and coal mining practicable, and the findings and methods could be applied to other places with similar problems.

MATLAB Model for designing mass exchange networks: A case study on pyrolysis plant for effective waste minimization

Enormous amounts of raw materials are consumed through various industrial processes worldwide. Vast amounts of raw materials utilized by the chemical industry typically go to waste. Mass integration is a distinctive method of streamlining the consumption of raw materials in chemical industries. Mass integration was developed by employing principles of pinch analysis in order to optimize mass exchange networks. To apply the concepts of mass integration, this work introduces a Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) code designed on the bases of the composition driving force graphical design approach. This MATLAB code was devised to analyze details of mass transfer operations with the lowest number of calculations possible. The algorithm’s detailed coding allows for designing mass exchange networks above and below the pinch. For maximum mass recovery, pinch principles were employed, and were delivered in an educational manner to students and young researchers in the field. The MATLAB code was designed to develop a useful toolbox for process integration as well as determine the number of plates required for each mass exchanger. The model was tested at pyrolysis plant with the aim of achieving mass targets and optimum matches for maximum recovery at the lowest costs possible.

Suppressing Dehydroisomerization Boosts n-Butane Dehydrogenation with High Butadiene Selectivity.

Butadiene (BD) is a critical raw material in chemical industry, which is conventionally produced from naphtha cracking. The fast-growing demand of BD and the limited oil reserve motivate chemists to develop alternative methods for BD production. Shale gas, which mainly consists of light alkanes, has been considered as cheap raw materials to replace oil for BD production via n-butane direct dehydrogenation (n-BDH). However, the quest for highly-efficient catalysts for n-BDH is driven by the current drawback of low BD selectivity. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for boosting the selectivity of BD by suppressing dehydroisomerization, an inevitable step in the conventional n-BDH process which largely reduces the selectivity of BD. Detailed investigations show that the addition of alkali-earth metals (e. g., Mg and Ca) into Pt-Ga2 O3 /S10 catalysts increases Pt dispersity, suppresses coke deposition and dehydroisomerization, and thus leads to the significant increase of BD selectivity. The optimized catalyst displays an initial BD selectivity of 34.7 % at a n-butane conversion of 82.1 % at 625 °C, which outperforms the reported catalysts in literatures. This work not only provides efficient catalysts for BD production via n-BDH, but also promotes the researches on catalyst design in heterogeneous catalysis.

Evaluation of Gas Composition Obtained from Gasification of Pellets and Blends with Agricultural Wastes

The gas produced by gasification is more versatile than the original solid biomass and can be applied as raw material for chemical industry and as fuel for the electrical and thermal energy production. Small gasification plants are being considered as an option for electrical energy generation in remote areas where agriculture wastes can be found easily. In this way, the aim of this work was to evaluate the characteristics of the gas composition of co-gasification using pine pellets and blends with agricultural wastes. The experiments were carried out in duplicate in a pilot scale fixed bed downdraft gasifier, GEK Power Pallet 20kW. It was performed experimental runs with 100 % pine pellets, 80 % pine pellets and 20 % agriculture wastes, and 80 % pine pellets with 15.4 % agriculture wastes and 4.6 % of glycerol used as an agglutinant agent. The samples were analyzed by GC-FID/TCD. The moisture of different feedstocks varied between 8.00 and 10.88. The results of the produced gas show an average composition of 37.45% CO and 15.79% H2, and LHV 7,155 kJ/kg for gasification of 100 % pine pellets. While the mixture of pine pellets and agriculture wastes resulted in a gas with 32.13% CO and 20.10% H2, and LHV of 6,663.4 kJ/kg. When added glycerol, the gas composition to CO was 20.52 % and to H2 11.21 % with LHV of 4,507.4 kJ/kg. The results indicate that the gasifier is compatible with the mixture of agricultural residues and pines pellets in co-gasification.

Evaluation of Gas Composition Obtained from Gasification of Pellets and Blends with Agricultural Wastes

The gas produced by gasification is more versatile than the original solid biomass and can be applied as raw material for chemical industry and as fuel for the electrical and thermal energy production. Small gasification plants are being considered as an option for electrical energy generation in remote areas where agriculture wastes can be found easily. In this way, the aim of this work was to evaluate the characteristics of the gas composition of co-gasification using pine pellets and blends with agricultural wastes. The experiments were carried out in duplicate in a pilot scale fixed bed downdraft gasifier, GEK Power Pallet 20kW. It was performed experimental runs with 100 % pine pellets, 80 % pine pellets and 20 % agriculture wastes, and 80 % pine pellets with 15.4 % agriculture wastes and 4.6 % of glycerol used as an agglutinant agent. The samples were analyzed by GC-FID/TCD. The moisture of different feedstocks varied between 8.00 and 10.88. The results of the produced gas show an average composition of 37.45% CO and 15.79% H2, and LHV 7,155 kJ/kg for gasification of 100 % pine pellets. While the mixture of pine pellets and agriculture wastes resulted in a gas with 32.13% CO and 20.10% H2, and LHV of 6,663.4 kJ/kg. When added glycerol, the gas composition to CO was 20.52 % and to H2 11.21 % with LHV of 4,507.4 kJ/kg. The results indicate that the gasifier is compatible with the mixture of agricultural residues and pines pellets in co-gasification.

Anaerobic semi-fixed bed biofilm reactor (An-SFB-BR) for treatment of high concentration p-nitrophenol wastewater under shock loading conditions.

P-nitrophenol (PNP or 4-NP) has been widely used as a biorefractory raw material in chemical industry, whereas been highly concerned for its characteristics of mutagenic/carcinogenic activity and food chain bioaccumulation. In this study, an anaerobic semi-fixed bed biofilm reactor (An-SFB-BR) was constructed and used to treat PNP wastewater which discharged from chemical industries. Experimental results revealed that the An-SFB-BR was successfully cultivated with the gradually increasing of influent PNP from 0 to 540mg/L (gradually increased 10mg/L every time in stage II and 30-50mg/L for stage III), with the observation of an average removal efficiency of 98% for PNP and 80% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), also a biogas production and biogas production rate of 2.1 L/(L·d) and 0.57 m3/kg-COD, respectively. Finally, the conversion rate of P-aminophenol (PAP), the primary intermediate of PNP reached 80% after An-SFB-BR biodegradation. A relatively stable pH was maintained throughout the entire process, and insignificant VFA accumulation. The reactor exhibited a strong toxic shock resistance, and 16S rRNA sequencing results demonstrated that the dominant microbial community changed slightly with the gradually increasing of PNP concentration, which guaranteed the PNP removal efficiency.

Controlled Nanostructure of Zeolite Crystal Encapsulating FeMnK Catalysts Targeting Light Olefins from Syngas.

Light olefins (C2=-C4=) are important basic raw materials in chemical industries. Direct production of light olefins from syngas using zeolite encapsulation catalysts shows great potential due to their regulation of product distribution in the Fischer-Tropsch process. Herein, we report a series of silicalite-1 zeolite-encapsulated FeMnK catalysts with distinct nanostructures, including FeMnK@S-1, FeMnK@Hol-S-1, and FeMnK@HM-S-1. It was found that the FeMnK@HM-S-1 catalyst (encapsulation of FeMnK oxide in hollow mesoporous silicalite-1 crystal) had an enhanced C2=-C4= selectivity of 49% at a CO conversion of 12%. Our results revealed that superior light olefins selectivity of the FeMnK@HM-S-1 catalyst was achieved by the synergic effect between the inherent silicalite-1 micropores and the hollow mesoporous structure, which is responsible for restricting heavy hydrocarbon (C5+) formation, maximizing C2-C4 hydrocarbons selectivity, quickly removing the primary light olefin products, and increasing the O/P ratio. We demonstrated that the enhanced CO adsorption and the declined H2 adsorption (lower [H*]/[C*] ratio) over the FeMnK@HM-S-1 catalyst could also facilitate the olefin synthesis. This work provides guidance for reasonable designing of F-T catalysts to tailor product selectivity.

Solid-state facilitated transport membrane for CO/N2 separation based on PHMEP-co-PAA comb-like copolymer: Experimental and molecular simulation study

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important raw material in chemical industries; however, its separation through solid-state polymer membranes has not been extensively investigated. Herein, a series of comb-like copolymers, i.e., poly(2-hydroxypropyl-2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl phthalate-co-acrylic acid) (PHMEP-co-PAA), is synthesized and used as a matrix to incorporate AgBF4 and ionic liquid ([bmim][BF4]) for solid-state facilitated CO transport membrane. The carbonyl moeities of the copolymer phthalate and carboxyl groups effectively form a complex with the Ag ions. CO/N2 separation performance is improved by introducing AgBF4 together with [bmim][BF4] into the copolymer matrix, which is supported by spectroscopic analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. Incorporating AgBF4 significantly increases the interaction energy between the membrane and CO molecules, demonstrating that Ag salts act as facilitated CO transport carriers and increase CO solubility in the membrane. Results show that the ionic liquid prevents comb copolymer aggregation and improves CO/N2 selectivity. The PHMEP-co-PAA copolymer monomeric ratio affects the CO/N2 selectivity and carrier stability. Copolymers with high PHMEP content (70 wt%) show the highest CO/N2 selectivity due to strong polymer-CO interaction energies. Performance optimization provided a CO/N2 selectivity of 16.2, one of the highest values reported so far, with a CO permeance of 2.1 GPU. Simultaneous increase in CO permeance and CO/N2 selectivity with carrier loading clearly indicates facilitated CO transport. The simulation analysis effectively interprets the experimental separation performance and can be used for designing CO separation membranes.

Separation and purification of fatty acids by membrane technology: a critical review

Abstract Fatty acids (FAs) are a very important group of raw materials for chemical industry, and the technology of separating or purifying the FAs from the reaction product mixture has always been the hotspot of research. Membrane processes for separation of FAs are being increasingly reported. Compared with conventional FAs separation methods, membrane separation has the advantages of low energy consumption, system compactness, high separation efficiency, easy scale-up, high available surface area per unit volume and low working temperatures, thereby attracting considerable attention of many researchers. In this regards, this paper critically reviewed the developments of methods for FAs separation and purification, and the future prospects of coupling membrane technology with hydrolysis for enhanced production of FAs.

Catalytic Processes for Biomass-Derived Platform Molecules Valorisation

Nowadays, biomass is an interesting raw material for chemical industry, and the valorisation of its derivatives becomes in a sustainable alternative against to the depletion of fossil sources necessary for the production of energy, fuels and chemicals. Different organic compounds, such as sugars, polyols, furanics, as well as several acids (i.e. levulinic acid, succinic acid, itaconic acid, 3-hydroxy-propionic acid, among others) can be obtained after a primary treatment of the lignocellulosic-type biomass. These bio-derived molecules can be used as “platform chemicals” for the synthesis of numerous chemical products (i.e. components and additives for fuels, solvents and paintings, new monomers for polymer industry, etc.). In this review, the possibilities of valorisation via novel catalytic processes of some of the most promising biomass(cellulose/hemicellulose)-derived intermediates and platform chemicals for obtaining both conventional and new high added-value chemicals for industry will be assessed, also including cascade-type (or “one-pot”) catalytic processes recently developed.