SBIR Phase I: Green Solvent-Enabled Synthesis of Biobased Furans

SBIR 第一阶段：绿色溶剂合成生物基呋喃

• 批准号: 1315356
• 负责人: David Alonso
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Glucan Biorenewables LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-07-01 至 2014-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1315356&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Green; Solvent; Enabled

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project focuses on providing the proof of concept that a gamma-valerolactone (GVL) based reaction system can deliver yield and cost advantages to convert real biomass feedstocks to useful biorenewable chemicals. Glucan Biorenewables envisions developing a scalable furan-based chemical platform using GVL, a biomass-derived solvent, for both the sugar separation and reaction system. Bench-scale evidence shows GVL delivers significant improvement in dehydration selectivity and conversion of C5 and C6 sugars to biorenewable chemicals like furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The GVL-based reaction system provides important advantages over current biomass dehydration processes. These include increased reactivity of homogeneous acids for hydrolysis and dehydration, improvements in the use of solid catalysts, increased yields through minimizing degradation, and the solubilization and recovery of lignin/humins. These advantages translate to the potential to improve biomass conversion with higher yields and lower energy and capital cost than commercially available processes. The technology has been demonstrated to be effective using pure xylose and glucose however this project will prove the commercial viability by demonstrating efficient conversion and solvent recycling using real feedstocks such as corn cob, corn stover, bagasse, oat hulls.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the development of a cost competitive process to deliver biorenewable chemicals produced from waste biomass. These intermediate furan derivatives, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), have multiple uses with enormous opportunities to replace petroleum-based chemicals in applications ranging from packaging to insulation. The processing and logistical costs that have long hindered large-scale biorenewable chemical production of furfural and HMF are addressed with GlucanBio?s novel solvent system. Given the Midwest alone boasts more than five-hundred thousand tons of collected biomass waste such as oat hulls, corn cobs and corn stover, GlucanBio is in a unique position to build partnerships and create value for utilizing these waste streams. Large innovative corporations are publicly touting their commitment of 100% plant-based bottles by 2016. Polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a downstream derivative of HMF, has been proven to have superior bottling properties to PET and multiple companies are looking at the development of PEF as a substitute for PET bottles. This is just one of many examples of uses for furan derivatives. The proposed project provides the critical proof of concept regarding successful, cost effective biomass conversion to furans which can address both existing market needs and grow new markets.

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目的重点是提供概念证明，即基于伽马-戊内酯(GVL)的反应系统可以提供产量和成本优势，将真正的生物质原料转化为有用的生物可再生化学品。葡聚糖生物可再生能源公司设想使用GVL开发一种可扩展的呋喃化学平台，GVL是一种生物质衍生溶剂，用于糖分离和反应系统。小试证据表明，GVL在脱水选择性和将C5和C6糖转化为呋喃和5-羟甲基呋喃(HMF)等生物可再生化学品方面有显著改善。与目前的生物质脱水工艺相比，基于GVL的反应系统具有重要的优势。这些措施包括提高均相酸对水解和脱水的反应性，改进固体催化剂的使用，通过最大限度地减少降解来提高产率，以及木质素/胡敏素的增溶和回收。这些优势转化为提高生物质转化的潜力，与商业上可用的方法相比，这些方法具有更高的产量和更低的能源和资本成本。使用纯木糖和葡萄糖的技术已被证明是有效的，但该项目将通过使用玉米芯、玉米秸秆、甘蔗渣、燕麦壳等真实原料进行高效转化和溶剂回收来证明商业可行性。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种具有成本竞争力的过程，以提供从废弃生物质生产的生物可再生化学品。这些中间体呋喃衍生物呋喃和5-羟甲基呋喃(HMF)具有多种用途，在从包装到绝缘的各种应用中有巨大的机会取代基于石油的化学品。采用GLucanBio？S新型溶剂体系，解决了长期阻碍大规模生物可再生化学品生产糠醛和六氢呋喃的加工和物流成本问题。鉴于仅中西部地区就拥有超过50万吨收集的生物质废物，如燕麦壳、玉米棒和玉米秸秆，GLucanBio在建立合作伙伴关系并为利用这些废物流创造价值方面处于独特的地位。大型创新公司公开吹捧他们承诺到2016年100%以植物为基础的瓶子。聚乙烯呋喃(PEF)是HMF的下游衍生物，已被证明具有比PET更好的灌装性能，许多公司正在考虑开发PEF作为PET瓶的替代品。这只是呋喃衍生品用途的众多例子之一。拟议的项目为成功、具有成本效益的生物质转化为呋喃提供了关键的概念证明，这既可以满足现有的市场需求，又可以发展新的市场。