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Biomass waste valorization assisted by microwaves: a feasible approach for the co-production of value-added products

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Abstract

The use of microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis (MAAH) for the co-production of furfural, furfuryl alcohol, and formic acid from several lignocellulosic-based waste materials was investigated. The MAAH experiments were carried out in a microwave system based on the single reaction chamber (SRC) technology. Experimental conditions were selected using grass as a model of lignocellulosic waste, by evaluating the feedstock amount (10 to 700 mg), temperature (120 to 240 °C), time (1 to 40 min), and H2SO4 concentration (10 mL solution, 1 to 9%). One-pot conversion of grass, sugarcane straw, rice husk and wood waste into furfural (37–42%), furfuryl alcohol (10–26%), formic acid (10–15%), and glucose (0.6–8.1 %) was achieved even without a specific step for lignin removal. Higher biomass amount (0.5 L load, grass as model) was performed using a microwave SRC reactor. MAAH showed to be efficient for processing of several types of biomass waste, and the co-production of several interesting industrial products.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—Brazil (CNPq, Grant nr. 313786/2019-4; 309297/2016-8) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul—Brazil (FAPERGS, Grant nr. 17/2551-0000960-6; 17/2551-0000985-1) for supporting this study. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brazil (CAPES)—Finance code 001.

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  1. Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Daniel Santos, Gabrielle D. Iop, Paola A. Mello, Erico M. M. Flores & Cezar A. Bizzi

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Santos, D., Iop, G.D., Mello, P.A. et al. Biomass waste valorization assisted by microwaves: a feasible approach for the co-production of value-added products. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 13, 13911–13919 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-02104-6

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