Hydrotreating of wheat straw in toluene and ethanol.
In the present work, wheat straw was hydroliquefied at a temperature of 300°C for 4h in ethanol or toluene in order to obtain bio-components which are useful for fuel purposes. The experiments were performed in a 100mL batch reactor under hydrogen pressure of 70 bar. Typically, 2g of straw and 0.1g of catalyst (66%Ni/SiO2-Al2O3) were dispersed in 15 g of solvent. The main compounds of the oil produced during the liquefaction of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin of wheat straw in both solvents are: tetrahydrofuran-2-methanol, 1,2-butanediol and butyrolactone. Besides the mentioned compounds, ethanol favoured the decomposition of bigger molecules to short-chain alcohols such as 1-butanol, 1,2-propanediol and 1,2-ethanediol. Toluene contributes to the production of furans and other cyclic compounds. The light fractions distilled together with the solvent also contain the following: 1-propanol, 2-methyl-cyclopentanone, acetic acid and ethyl acetate.
Institute of Applied Chemistry, Azenes Str. 14/24, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia. Electronic address: raimonds.murnieks@rtu.lv.
Raimonds
R
Murnieks
Institute of Applied Chemistry, Azenes Str. 14/24, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia.
Valdis
V
Kampars
Institute of Applied Chemistry, Azenes Str. 14/24, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia.
Kristaps
K
Malins
Institute of Applied Chemistry, Azenes Str. 14/24, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia.
Lauma
L
Apseniece
D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D014050:Toluene / Q000737:chemistry*; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*
D012997:Solvents; D014050:Toluene; D000431:Ethanol
Ethanol; Hydroliquefaction; Solvolysis; Toluene; Wheat straw