Subcritical water and CO2 hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse for levulinic acid production

• Grant number: 18/06294-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2018
• End date: January 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Rubens Maciel Filho
• Grantee: Emília Savioli Lopes
• Supervisor: Solange Ines Mussatto Dragone
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/17592-3 - Production optimization and obtainment of levulinic acid from sugarcane bagasse and molasses, BP.DR

Abstract

The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a future substitute for fossil fuels depends on the successful development of biorefinery strategies for the production of renewable derived-building blocks. In this context, levulinic acid has been pointed out as a polysaccharide-derived organic acid with a great potential for several applications such fine chemicals, fuels, fuel additives, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. Bearing this in mind, the goal of this project will be investigating the production of levulinic acid by subcritical water and CO2 hydrolysis (SbWH and SbCO2H) of sugarcane bagasse. This technique has been considered as an environmentally friendly catalytic process with potential applications in synthesis reactions. In addition, CO2 is also attractive as a chemical for organic chemistry because it is nontoxic, nonflammable, inexpensive, and renewable, being in agreement with the principles of green chemistry. (AU)