title: Effects of Soluble Lignin on the Formic Acid-Catalyzed Formation of Furfural: A Case Study for the Upgrading of Hemicellulose.
abstract: A comprehensive study is presented on the conversion of hemicellulose sugars in liquors obtained from the fractionation of Miscanthus, spruce bark, sawdust, and hemp by using formic acid. Experimental tests with varying temperature (130-170 °C), formic acid concentration (10-80 wt%), carbohydrate concentrations, and lignin separation were carried out, and experimental data were compared with predictions obtained by reaction kinetics developed in a previous study. The conversions of xylose and arabinose into furfural were inherently affected by the presence of polymeric soluble lignin, decreasing the maximum furfural yields observed experimentally by up to 24%. These results were also confirmed in synthetic mixtures of pentoses with Miscanthus and commercial alkali lignin. This observation was attributed to side reactions involving intermediate stable sugar species reacting with solubilized lignin during the conversion of xylose into furfural.
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Department, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland. karla.dussan@nuigalway.ie.
authors.forename: Karla
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5049-1790
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dussan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore 627833, Singapore.
authors.forename: Buana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Girisuta
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Co., Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Marystela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Co., Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Co., Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Michael H B
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D005561:Formates / Q000737:chemistry*; D005662:Furaldehyde / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D005561:Formates; D011134:Polysaccharides; C030544:formic acid; C007916:hemicellulose; D008031:Lignin; D005662:Furaldehyde
keywords: biomass; carbohydrates; kinetics; lignin; synthesis design