Chemical Conversion of Biomass Resources to Useful Chemicals and Fuels by Supercritical Fluid Technology

利用超临界流体技术对生物质资源转化为有用的化学品和燃料进行了研究。结果表明：1)利用超临界流体生物质转化系统对微晶纤维素（avicel）进行处理，并在超临界水中液化。得到的水解产物是葡萄糖、果糖、低聚糖和多糖，稀硫酸处理对其糖化有效。将得到的单糖成功发酵得到乙醇。此外，在超临界水中处理木材还可以生产木质素衍生产品。通过GC-MC分析，发现木质素衍生的芳香族化合物有愈创木酚、松柏醛等。因此，从木质素中生产有用的化学物质具有很高的潜力。2)在对生物质在超临界甲醇中的研究中，发现350℃/43MPa/ 30min的处理适宜于气化。在甲醇中，纤维素三糖和纤维素二糖、甲基α和β- d -糖苷、左旋葡聚糖和5-羟甲基糠醛被甲基化，芳香族化合物如愈创木酚、针叶醇及其γ-甲基醚、针叶醛等被从软木木质素中回收。然后在等体积燃烧容器中对含这些化合物的甲醇可溶部分在模拟柴油机条件下的可燃性进行了评价，并讨论了柴油燃烧的要求。3)通过这些研究，评价了超临界流体技术将生物质资源转化为有用的化学品和燃料的潜力。

A study on chemical conversion of biomass resources to useful chemicals and fuels have heen made by supercritical fluid technology. As a result, the following results were obtained:1) Microcryatalline cellulose (avicel) was treated and liquefied in supercritical water using supercritical fluid biomass conversion system. The obtained hydrolyzed products were glucose, fructose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides for which dilute sulfuric acid treatment was found to be effective for their saccharitication. The obtained monosaccharides were then successfully fermented to get ethanol. In addition, lignin-derived products could be produced as wood was treated in supercritical water. By GC-MC analysis, a variety of lignin-derived aromatic compounds were found to be produced, such as guaiacol coniferyl-aldehyde etc. Thus, a high potential was demonstrated to produce useful chemicals from lignin.2) In a study of biomass in supercritical methanol, a treatment at 350℃/43MPa/30 min was found to be appropriate to liguefy. The obtained compounds in methanol were methylated cellotriose and cellobiose, methyl α-and β-D-glucosides, levoglucosan and 5-hydroxymethylfurtural from cellulose, while aromatic compounds such as guaiacol, coniferyl alcohol, and its γ-methyl ether, coniferyl aldehyde etc. were recovered from softwood lignin. The methanol-soluble portion containing these compounds were then evaluated for its ignitability under simulated diesel engine conditions in a constant-volume combustior vessel, and the requirements for the diesel combustion were discussed.3) Through these studies, supercritical fluid technology was evaluated for its potentials to convert biomass resources to useful chemicals and fuels.