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  • A sustainable wood biorefinery for low-carbon footprint chemicals production.

A sustainable wood biorefinery for low-carbon footprint chemicals production.

Science (New York, N.Y.) (2020-02-15)
Yuhe Liao, Steven-Friso Koelewijn, Gil Van den Bossche, Joost Van Aelst, Sander Van den Bosch, Tom Renders, Kranti Navare, Thomas Nicolaï, Korneel Van Aelst, Maarten Maesen, Hironori Matsushima, Johan M Thevelein, Karel Van Acker, Bert Lagrain, Danny Verboekend, Bert F Sels
ABSTRACT

The profitability and sustainability of future biorefineries are dependent on efficient feedstock use. Therefore, it is essential to valorize lignin when using wood. We have developed an integrated biorefinery that converts 78 weight % (wt %) of birch into xylochemicals. Reductive catalytic fractionation of the wood produces a carbohydrate pulp amenable to bioethanol production and a lignin oil. After extraction of the lignin oil, the crude, unseparated mixture of phenolic monomers is catalytically funneled into 20 wt % of phenol and 9 wt % of propylene (on the basis of lignin weight) by gas-phase hydroprocessing and dealkylation; the residual phenolic oligomers (30 wt %) are used in printing ink as replacements for controversial para-nonylphenol. A techno-economic analysis predicts an economically competitive production process, and a life-cycle assessment estimates a lower carbon dioxide footprint relative to that of fossil-based production.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
p-Propyl anisole, ≥99%, FCC, FG
Sigma-Aldrich
Isoeugenol, 98%, mixture of cis and trans
Sigma-Aldrich
4-Ethylphenol, ≥98%, FG
Sigma-Aldrich
4-Ethylguaiacol, ≥98%, FCC, FG
Sigma-Aldrich
3-Propylphenol, AldrichCPR
Sigma-Aldrich
Pyridine, anhydrous, 99.8%
Sigma-Aldrich
2-Chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane, 95%
Sigma-Aldrich
4-Isopropyl-3-methylphenol, 99%