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

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目的重点是提供概念证明，基于γ -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。葡聚糖生物可再生公司设想开发一个可扩展的基于呋喃的化学平台，使用GVL，一种生物质衍生的溶剂，用于糖分离和反应系统。实验规模的证据表明，GVL在脱水选择性和C5和C6糖转化为糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF）等生物可再生化学物质方面有显著改善。与目前的生物质脱水工艺相比，基于gvi的反应体系具有重要的优势。这些措施包括提高水解和脱水均相酸的反应活性，改进固体催化剂的使用，通过尽量减少降解来提高产量，以及木质素/人类素的增溶和回收。这些优势转化为改善生物质转化的潜力，比商业上可用的工艺具有更高的产量和更低的能源和资本成本。该技术已被证明使用纯木糖和葡萄糖是有效的，但该项目将通过展示使用玉米芯、玉米秸秆、甘蔗渣、燕麦壳等实际原料的有效转化和溶剂回收来证明其商业可行性。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种具有成本竞争力的工艺，以提供由废弃生物质生产的生物可再生化学品。这些中间呋喃衍生物，糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF），具有多种用途，在从包装到绝缘的应用中有巨大的机会取代石油基化学品。长期以来阻碍大规模生物可再生化学品生产糠醛和HMF的加工和物流成本问题，通过GlucanBio？新型溶剂体系。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、玉米芯和玉米秸秆，葡聚糖生物公司在建立合作伙伴关系和利用这些废物流创造价值方面处于独特的地位。大型创新公司正在公开宣传他们到2016年生产100%植物基瓶子的承诺。聚乙烯呋喃酸酯（PEF）， HMF的下游衍生物，已被证明具有优于PET的装瓶性能，多家公司正在考虑开发PEF作为PET瓶的替代品。这只是呋喃衍生物用途的众多例子之一。拟议的项目提供了关于成功的、具有成本效益的生物质转化为呋化物的关键概念证明，既可以满足现有的市场需求，又可以开拓新的市场。

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.