skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Humins to Bio‐Oil in Methanol over Supported Metal Catalysts

Journal Article · · ChemSusChem
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Delaware Newark DE 19716 USA, Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation University of Delaware Newark DE 19716 USA
  2. Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation University of Delaware Newark DE 19716 USA

Abstract Valorization of humins, the polymeric byproducts formed during the acid‐catalyzed production of HMF (5‐hydroxymethylfurfural) or furfural, is necessary to improve process economics and make biorefineries viable. We report the one‐step catalytic hydrotreatment of humins in methanol to humin oil containing fully or partially deoxygenated compounds. First, we compare four commercial noble‐metal catalysts (Ru/C, Rh/C, Pt/C, and Pd/C). Aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and esters are the main products detected by GC. Rh/C achieves the best GC‐detectable oil yield and 75 % humins conversion in 3 h at 400 °C, 30 bar H 2 , and a catalyst‐to‐humins mass ratio of 1:10. High H 2 pressures and intermediate temperatures, reaction times, and catalyst loadings enhance GC‐detectable oil yields. In contrast, high temperatures and long reaction times enhance gasification. Aromatics and phenols are found at high temperatures and long reaction times, whereas esters are the major species at short reaction times and high catalyst loading. 13 C‐isotopic labeling studies confirm, for the first time, that methanol participates in the alkylation and esterification reactions to form aromatic, phenolic and ester products. The reactivity in isopropanol is also discussed.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1473986
Journal Information:
ChemSusChem, Journal Name: ChemSusChem Vol. 11 Journal Issue: 20; ISSN 1864-5631
Publisher:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Germany
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (37)

Molecular structure, morphology and growth mechanisms and rates of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) derived humins journal January 2016
Heterogeneous Catalysis in Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor journal May 1966
DFT Study of Furfural Conversion to Furan, Furfuryl Alcohol, and 2-Methylfuran on Pd(111) journal October 2012
Catalytic Liquefaction of Humin Substances from Sugar Biorefineries with Pt/C in 2-Propanol journal December 2016
Catalytic Depolymerization of Lignin in Supercritical Ethanol journal May 2014
Exploratory catalyst screening studies on the liquefaction of model humins from C6 sugars journal January 2017
Hydrodeoxygenation of Furfural Over Supported Metal Catalysts: A Comparative Study of Cu, Pd and Ni journal March 2011
Valorization of Humin-Based Byproducts from Biomass Processing-A Route to Sustainable Hydrogen journal August 2013
Structural analysis of humins formed in the Brønsted acid catalyzed dehydration of fructose journal January 2018
A model that distinguishes the pyrolysis of d-glucose, d-fructose, and sucrose from that of cellulose. Application to the understanding of cigarette smoke formation journal January 2003
The production of gasoline range hydrocarbons from Alcell® lignin using HZSM-5 catalyst journal January 2000
Dehydration of Different Ketoses and Aldoses to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural journal August 2013
Hydrodeoxygenation of mono- and dimeric lignin model compounds on noble metal catalysts journal September 2014
Group Additivity and Modified Linear Scaling Relations for Estimating Surface Thermochemistry on Transition Metal Surfaces: Application to Furanics journal April 2015
The Catalytic Valorization of Lignin for the Production of Renewable Chemicals journal June 2010
Common Pathways in Ethanolysis of Kraft Lignin to Platform Chemicals over Molybdenum-Based Catalysts journal July 2015
Brønsted–Evans–Polanyi and Transition State Scaling Relations of Furan Derivatives on Pd(111) and Their Relation to Those of Small Molecules journal December 2013
A synergistic biorefinery based on catalytic conversion of lignin prior to cellulose starting from lignocellulosic biomass journal January 2015
Production of Dimethylfuran from Hydroxymethylfurfural through Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation with Ruthenium Supported on Carbon journal June 2013
Experimental studies on the pyrolysis of humins from the acid-catalysed dehydration of C6-sugars journal November 2013
Composition Analysis of Organosolv Lignin and Its Catalytic Solvolysis in Supercritical Alcohol journal February 2014
Liquid phase catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural over a Ru/C catalyst journal June 2014
Effect of hydrogen donor on liquid phase catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural over a Ru/RuO2/C catalyst journal October 2014
Valorization of Biorefinery Side-Stream Products: Combination of Humins with Polyfurfuryl Alcohol for Composite Elaboration journal July 2014
Structural characterization of 13 C-enriched humins and alkali-treated 13 C humins by 2D solid-state NMR journal January 2015
Conjugation-Driven “Reverse Mars–van Krevelen”-Type Radical Mechanism for Low-Temperature C–O Bond Activation journal June 2016
Solvent Effects on the Hydrogenolysis of Diphenyl Ether with Raney Nickel and their Implications for the Conversion of Lignin journal April 2012
Production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural by dehydration of biomass-derived mono- and poly-saccharides journal January 2007
Formation and Growth of Humins via Aldol Addition and Condensation during Acid-Catalyzed Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural journal October 2011
Tandem Lewis/Brønsted homogeneous acid catalysis: conversion of glucose to 5-hydoxymethylfurfural in an aqueous chromium( iii ) chloride and hydrochloric acid solution journal January 2015
Humin-like substances formed under the conditions of industrial hydrolysis of wood journal February 2010
Clean liquid fuels from direct coal liquefaction: chemistry, catalysis, technological status and challenges journal January 2011
Humin based by-products from biomass processing as a potential carbonaceous source for synthesis gas production journal January 2015
Catalytic pyrolysis of recalcitrant, insoluble humin byproducts from C6 sugar biorefineries journal January 2017
Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Humins in Mixtures of Formic Acid/2-Propanol with Supported Ruthenium Catalysts journal February 2016
A Quantitative Scale of Oxophilicity and Thiophilicity journal August 2016
Formation, Molecular Structure, and Morphology of Humins in Biomass Conversion: Influence of Feedstock and Processing Conditions journal July 2013