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Cellulose decomposition behavior in hot-compressed aprotic solvents

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Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose (avicel) is treated in hot-compressed aprotic solvents, sulfolane and 1,4-dioxane, using a batch-type reaction system with a molten tin bath in a range from 290 to 390°C. The corresponding densities of the solvent are 0.25–1.26 g/cm3 and 0.21–1.03 g/cm3 for sulfolane and 1,4-dioxane, respectively. As a result, in both solvents, more than 90% of cellulose is found to be decomposed to the solvent-soluble portion in which levoglucosan is the main component with the highest yield of about 35% on original cellulose basis. The decomposition rate to levoglucosan is, however, faster in sulfolane than in 1,4-dioxane, while levoglucosan is more stable in 1,4-dioxane. In addition, its yield is found to be solvent-density dependent to be highest around 0.4–0.5 g/cm3 for both solvents. To elucidate these decomposition behaviors, the results obtained in this study with aprotic solvents are compared with protic solvents such as water and methanol in previous works.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioenergy Engineering Laboratory, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650093, China

    GuiRong Bao & Hua Wang

  2. Faculty of Electric Power Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650051, China

    GuiRong Bao

  3. Department of Socio-Environmental Energy Science, Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Saka Shiro

Authors
  1. GuiRong Bao
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  2. Saka Shiro
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  3. Hua Wang
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Correspondence to GuiRong Bao.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 90610035)

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Bao, G., Shiro, S. & Wang, H. Cellulose decomposition behavior in hot-compressed aprotic solvents. Sci. China Ser. B-Chem. 51, 479–486 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-008-0052-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-008-0052-1

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