Process Intensification of cellulose esterification in ionic liquids

社会赋予工业减少、回收和再利用的任务，利用可持续和资源高效的技术。通过流程优化对传统技术的渐进式改进不能足够快地实现这些变化。流程强化(PI)是一种创新的方法，其目标是通过颠覆性技术实现化学品生产的数量级改进-效率和原料/能源转换的范式转变。与传统技术相比，对PI的有限了解以及缺乏量化其性能的指标阻碍了它们的商业化。生物圈每年生产1010吨纤维素。加拿大广阔的森林构成了世界上最大的(未被开发的)木质纤维生物质供应之一。通过将纤维素转化为特种化学品，特别是热塑性塑料，而不是制造生物乙醇，我们的目标分子的价值至少比纤维素酒精高100倍。该项目开发了将纤维素转化为化学品的PI工艺，并建立了工艺模型，以量化PI技术的集约化程度和技术经济吸引力。我们将量化适用于整个技术的基于可再生能源的分布式流程的模块化和电气化的潜力。为了实现这一长期目标，我们瞄准了三个子目标：O1纤维素与生物质衍生的游离脂肪酸和绿色溶剂(离子液体)的均相酯化；O2纤维素酯化在强化反应器中：时间尺度分析，以衡量强化技术与传统技术的潜力；臭氧放大PI：时间尺度分析衍生指标和技术经济分析(TEA)，由原始的学习弹性概念进行。该项目将培养6名博士和15名理科学士。五年以上的学生。每个博士生将专注于PI技术(PhD1，4：超声波；PhD2，5：机械力化学反应器；PhD3，6：旋转盘反应器)。然而，他们都将获得适用于一般强化技术的能力：通过时间尺度分析的原始方法得出PI指标的计算流体动力学(CFD)，通过学习弹性(包括预测的能源供应可用性)进行的技术经济分析(TEA)。所有博士还将接受操作专门设备的培训。该方案通过评估跨国投资技术和改造产业的经济性，使其更具可持续性，从而产生社会经济影响。通过以电力为动力的当地可再生模块化工厂，PI具有在发展中国家实施的潜力。它还促使加拿大经济走在生物炼油业的前列，生产在塑料、涂料、膜和制药市场具有潜力的热塑性纤维素酯。它最终通过促进生物炼油厂取代化石原料和减少温室气体排放而对环境产生影响。

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.