Process Intensification of cellulose esterification in ionic liquids

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Society has given industry the mandate to reduce, recycle and reuse leveraging technologies that are sustainable and resource-efficient. The incremental improvement of traditional technologies through process optimization cannot deliver these changes fast enough. Process intensification (PI) is an innovative approach that targets order of magnitude improvements to manufacture chemicals by disruptive technologies for a paradigm-shift in efficiency and feedstock/energy transition. Limited knowledge on PI and the lack of metrics to quantify their performance vs. traditional technologies delay their commercialization. The biosphere produces 1010 metric tons cellulose yearly. Canada's vast forests constitute one of the largest (underexploited) supplies of lignocellulosic biomass in the world. By converting cellulose to specialty chemicals, specifically thermoplastics, rather than making bioethanol, we target molecules with a value at least 100X higher than cellulosic alcohol. This program develops PI processes to convert cellulose to chemicals and process models to quantify the degree of intensification and the techno-economic attractiveness of PI technologies. We will quantify the potential for modularization and electrification for distributed renewable-based processes, applicable to technologies at large. To tackle this long-term objective, we target three sub objectives: O1 Homogeneous esterification of cellulose with biomass-derived free fatty acids and green solvents (ionic liquids); O2 Cellulose esterification in intensified reactors: time scale analysis to gauge the potential of intensified vs. traditional technologies; O3 Scale-up of PI: time scale analysis-derived indicators and techno-economic analysis (TEA) by the original concept of learning elasticity. This program will train six PhD and 15 B.Sc. students over five years. Each PhD student will concentrate on a PI technology (PhD1,4: ultrasound; PhD2,5: mechanochemical reactor; PhD3,6: spinning disc reactor). However, they will all acquire competencies applicable to intensified technologies at large: computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to derive PI indicators through the original approach of time scale analysis, techno-economic analysis (TEA) by learning elasticity, including projected availability of energy supply. All PhDs will also receive training to operate specialized equipment. This program generates socio-economic impacts by assessing economics of PI technologies and retrofitting industries to make them more sustainable. By local renewable-based modular plants powered by electricity, PI has the potential to be implemented in developing countries. It also prompts Canadian economy to be at the forefront of the biorefinery industry by producing thermoplastic cellulose esters with potential in plastics, coatings, membranes, and pharma markets. It finally has an environmental impact by promoting biorefineries to replace fossil feedstock and decrease GHG emissions.