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化学转化为有用化学品和燃料进行了研究。1)利用超临界流体生物质转化系统对微晶纤维素(Avicel)在超临界水中进行处理和液化。得到的水解物是葡萄糖、果糖、低聚糖和多糖，稀硫酸处理对它们的糖化是有效的。然后将得到的单糖成功发酵制得乙醇。此外，木材在超临界水中处理可以产生木质素衍生产物。通过GC-MC分析，发现有多种木质素衍生的芳香族化合物产生，如愈创木酚、针叶醛等，因此木质素有很高的潜力产生有用的化学物质。2)在超临界甲醇中生物质的研究中，350Mpa/43℃/30min的处理是适宜的。在甲醇中得到的化合物为甲基化的纤维三糖和纤维二糖、甲基α-和β-D-葡萄糖苷、左旋葡聚糖和5-羟甲基呋喃；从针叶木素中回收了愈创木酚、针叶醇及其γ-甲基醚、针叶醛等芳香族化合物。然后在定容燃烧室内模拟柴油机条件下，对含有这些化合物的甲醇可溶部分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.