LIGNOX - The Selective Oxidation of Lignin in Water

LIGNOX是一种全新的从木质素中生产大量芳香族化合物的方法，木质素是一种广泛使用的生物废物，目前作为低品位热源燃烧。我们的方法是基于诺丁汉大学开发的一种工艺，用于在超临界水（scH2O）中选择性部分氧化甲基化芳烃，由MnBr2催化。与目前在乙酸溶剂中制备芳香羧酸的方法相比，这种scH2O工艺具有潜在的主要优势。LIGNOX涉及三个合作伙伴(i)英威达，世界领先的工艺技术开发商和许可方，特别是大规模选择性氧化；（ii）国家非粮食作物中心，在生物原料开发方面具有专业知识；（iii）诺丁汉大学，在超临界流体，特别是scH2O方面具有独特的专业知识。诺丁汉大学的任务是开展基础化学研究，为该项目奠定基础。任务包括(a)设计和优化高压设备，最初将基于诺丁汉开发的专利喷嘴反应器，(b)设计和执行一个实验程序，以建立分别控制C-C键的选择性氧化和醚侧链水解的最佳策略。从而提供了指导聚合物产物分解的工具和(c)开发有效的在线和离线分析程序，用于快速形成和定量反应产物。我们提出的计划的一个关键组成部分是使用FTIR光谱与ATR采样进行在线监测和更快速的反应优化，这是一种基于诺丁汉团队使用借用设备的有希望的初步结果的新方法。我们寻求资金购买设备、消耗品和必要的人力，以使这个项目成为现实。该项目的重要性在于木质素是芳香化合物的极少数生物原料之一。因此，LIGNOX是从合适的生物原料中制造芳香族化合物的重要一步，这种生物原料的吨位足够大，可以成为世界范围内散装化学品的可行来源。

LIGNOX is an entirely new approach to the production of high-volume aromatic compounds from Lignin, a widely available bio-waste material which is currently burned as a low grade source of heat. Our approach is based in a process developed at Nottingham for the selective partial oxidation of methylated aromatics in supercritical water, scH2O, catalysed by MnBr2. This scH2O process has been shown to have potentially major advantages over current methods for manufacturing aromatic carboxylic acids in acetic acid solvent. LIGNOX involves three partners (i) INVISTA, world-leading developer and licensor of process technology especially large-scale selective oxidation, (ii) the National Non-Food Crops Centre with expertise in exploitation of bio-feed stocks, and (iii) Nottingham which has unique expertise in supercritical fluids, especially scH2O. Nottingham's role is to carry out the fundamental chemical investigation underpinning the project. The tasks include (a) designing and optimizing the high pressure equipment, initially to be based on the patented Nozzle Reactor developed at Nottingham, (b) designing and carrying out an experimental programme to establish the best strategy for controlling separately the selective oxidation of C-C bonds and hydrolysis of ether side chains, thereby providing the tools for directing the breakdown of the polymeric products and (c) developing effective on-line and off-line analytical procedures for the rapid speciation and quantification of reaction products. A key component of our proposed programme is the use of FTIR spectroscopy with ATR sampling for on-line monitoring and more rapid reaction optimization, a novel approach based on promising preliminary results from the Nottingham team using loaned equipment. We seek funding for equipment, consumables and essential manpower to turn this project into reality. The importance of this project is that Lignin is one of the very few bio-feedstocks for aromatic compounds. Therefore, LIGNOX is a major step torwards manufacturing aromatic compounds from a suitable bio-feedstock, which is available in sufficient tonnage to be a viable source of bulk chemicals on a world-scale.