Levulinic Acid: A Sustainable Platform Chemical for Value-Added Products

Description

Use of fossil fuels and their derivatives has been one of the major drivers of climate change. This ongoing crisis has driven a global search for biofuels and biomass-derived chemicals which can serve as the basis for sustainable and renewable industry. One such ‘platform molecule’ is levulinic acid, whose derivatives are increasingly replacing traditional fossil-derived chemicals. The importance of levulinic acid for renewable industry is therefore only growing. Levulinic Acid: A Sustainable Platform Chemical for Value-Added Products provides a book-length introduction to this chemical and its derivatives, like the levulinates, for which applications include fuel additives, food and cosmetic preservatives, flavors, solvents, and more. The book surveys the production routes and necessary technologies involved in the production of levulinic acid, as well as its current and potential applications and typical chemical reactions. It provides a critical introduction to a potentially rich source of alternative industrial material. Levulinic Acid readers will also find: Production routes from different biomass materials. Treatment of both organic and inorganic levulinates. Extensive discussion of levulinic acid hydrogenation. Other derivatives formed upon reaction at the keto-functionality. Levulinic Acid is the first book on this subject, ideal for researchers and industry professionals in green chemistry and sustainable/renewable production, as well as regulators and policymakers with a focus on the relevant industries. Cover Half Title Levulinic Acid: A Sustainable Platform Chemical for Value-Added Products Copyright Contents About the Authors Preface 1. Levulinic Acid – History, Properties, Global Market, Direct Uses, Safety 1.1 History and Properties 1.2 Global Market 1.3 Direct Uses 1.4 Toxicity of Levulinic Acid and Inorganic Levulinates 1.5 Concluding Remarks References 2. Production and Technological Routes 2.1 Production and Technological Routes from Biomass 2.2 Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass 2.2.1 Physical Pretreatment 2.2.1.1 Mechanical 2.2.1.2 Microwave 2.2.1.3 Ultrasound 2.2.2 Chemical Pretreatment 2.2.2.1 Acid Hydrolysis 2.2.2.2 Alkaline Hydrolysis 2.2.2.3 Ionic Liquids 2.2.2.4 Organosolv 2.2.3 Physicochemical Pretreatment 2.2.3.1 Steam Explosion (SE) 2.2.3.2 Liquid Hot Water (LHW) 2.2.3.3 Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) 2.2.3.4 Supercritical CO2 Explosion 2.2.4 Biological Pretreatment 2.3 Production of Levulinic Acid from Lignocellulosic Biomass 2.3.1 Processes for LA Production: Homogeneous Catalysts 2.3.2 Processes for LA Production: Heterogeneous Catalysts 2.3.3 Processes for LA Production: Biphasic Systems 2.3.4 The Biofine Process of LA Production 2.3.5 Downstream Process of LA Recovery 2.4 Commercial Plants for the Production of LA 2.5 Conclusion References 3. Levulinate Derivatives – Main Production Routes and Uses of Organic and Inorganic Levulinates Derivatives 3.1 Main Production Routes 3.1.1 Esterification of Levulinic Acid 3.1.2 Direct Production from the Alcoholysis of Polyschacarides 3.1.3 Alcoholysis of Furfural 3.1.4 Alcoholysis of 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural 3.1.5 Production of Levulinate Inorganic Salts 3.2 Importance and Market of the Levulinate Derivatives 3.3 Uses of Organic Levulinate Derivatives 3.3.1 Food and Cosmetic 3.3.2 Fuel Additives 3.3.3 Plasticizers 3.3.4 Solvents 3.4 Uses of Inorganic Levulinate Derivatives 3.4.1 Antifreeze Additive 3.4.2 Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, and Food 3.4.3 Miscellaneous Applications 3.5 Conclusion References 4. Levulinic Acid Hydrogenation 4.1 Levulinic Acid Hydrogenation Products 4.1.1 𝛄-Valerolactone (GVL) 4.1.1.1 GVL Versus Ethanol 4.1.1.2 2-Methyl-tetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) 4.1.1.3 1,4-Pentanediol (1,4-PDO) 4.1.1.4 Alkyl Valerates 4.2 Performance of GVL as Fuel Additive 4.3 Levulinic Acid to 𝛄-Valerolactone 4.3.1 Conversion of GVL into 1,4-PDO and 2-MTHF 4.3.2 GVL to Butenes and Hydrocarbons 4.4 Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Efficient Conversion of LA to GVL 4.4.1 Precious Metal Catalysts 4.4.2 Nonprecious Metal Catalyst 4.4.2.1 Copper-Based Catalysts 4.4.2.2 Nickel-Based Catalysts 4.4.2.3 Zirconium-Based Catalysts 4.4.2.4 Iron-Based Catalysts 4.5 Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Conversion of LA and GVL to 1,4-PDO and 2-MTHF 4.6 Types of Hydrogenating Agents 4.7 Patent Search of LA Hydrogenation 4.8 Conclusion References 5. Carbonyl Reactions of Levulinic Acid – Ketals and Other Derivatives Formed Upon Reaction with the Carbonyl Group of Levulinic Acid. Production Routes, Technologies, and Main Uses 5.1 Levulinc Acid Ester Ketals Main Routes 5.1.1 Levulinic Acid Ester Ketals Main Uses 5.2 Succinic Acid 5.2.1 Petrochemical and Biotechnological Routes 5.2.2 Levulinic to Succinic Acid 5.2.3 Succinic Acid Main Uses 5.3 𝛅-Aminolevulinic Acid (DALA) Main Routes 5.3.1 𝛅-Aminolevulinic Acid Main Uses 5.4 5-Methyl-N-Alkyl-2-Pyrrolidone Main Routes 5.4.1 5-Methyl-N-Alkyl-2-Pyrrolidone Main Uses 5.5 Diphenolic Acid Main Routes 5.5.1 Diphenolic Levulinic Acid Main Uses 5.6 Conclusion References 6. Levulinic Acid in the Context of a Biorefinery 6.1 Biorefinery 6.2 Sugar-Based Biorefinery 6.3 Levulinc Acid and Levulinates from a Sugar Cane Biorefinery 6.4 Production of 𝛄-Valerolactone in a Sugar Cane Biorefinery 6.5 LA in the Context of a Biodiesel Plant 6.6 Conclusions References Index