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Process design and economics of an aluminium chloride catalysed organosolv process

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Abstract

In this work, an organosolv process using beech wood as the feedstock, a mixture of water and methanol (50 vol%) as the solvent and aluminium chloride as the catalyst is designed. Different to other organosolv processes, the formation of the high value-added product furfural occurs already in the cooking stage with a quite high yield (40 mol% based on a lab scale literature process). Different to furfural producing processes, the cellulose remains in the solid phase in high quantity (93 wt% of the initial based on a lab scale literature process). The plant is designed in the way that 99.7 wt% of methanol is recovered. Another specification is the isolation of 95 wt% furfural with a purity of more than 99.5 wt%. After consecutive conversion of cellulose, the minimum sugar selling price of glucose as a dilute solution is calculated as 329 $/t depending strongly on the furfural yield as well as the application of lignin and the corresponding selling price.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

    Martin Schwiderski

  2. University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 9, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Andrea Kruse

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  1. Martin Schwiderski
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Correspondence to Martin Schwiderski.

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Schwiderski, M., Kruse, A. Process design and economics of an aluminium chloride catalysed organosolv process. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 6, 335–345 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-015-0189-z

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