Title: Separation of chemical groups from bio-oil aqueous phase via sequential organic solvent extraction

Abstract

Bio-oil aqueous phase contains a considerable amount of furans, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and phenolics besides the major components of organic acids and anhydrosugars. The complexity of bio-oil aqueous phase limits its efficient utilization. To improve the efficiency of bio-oil biorefinery, this study focused on the separation of chemical groups from bio-oil aqueous phase via sequential organic solvent extractions. Due to their high recoverability and low solubility in water, four solvents (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) with different polarities were evaluated, and the optimum process conditions for chemical extraction were determined. Chloroform had high extraction efficiency for furans, phenolics, and ketones. In addition to these chemical groups, ethyl acetate had high extraction efficiency for organic acids. The sequential extraction by using chloroform followed by ethyl acetate rendered that 62.2 wt.% of original furans, ketones, alcohols, and phenolics were extracted to chloroform, over 62 wt.% acetic acid was extracted to ethyl acetate, resulting in a high concentration of levoglucosan (~53.0 wt.%) in the final aqueous phase. Chemicals separated via the sequential extraction could be used as feedstocks in biorefinery using processes such as catalytic upgrading of furans and phenolics to hydrocarbons, fermentation of levoglucosan to produce alcohols and diols, andmore » hydrogen production from organic acids via microbial electrolysis.« less

Authors:

Ren, Shoujie ^[1]; Ye, Philip ^[1]; Borole, Abhijeet P ^[2]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Publication Date:

Thu Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:

1356890

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1416828

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-00OR22725; FOA-0000812; DEAC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 123; Journal ID: ISSN 0165-2370

Publisher:

Elsevier

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; bio-oil aqueous phase; organic solvent; solvent extraction; chemical groups