An integrated process for the production of platform chemicals and diesel miscible fuels by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and downstream upgrading of the acid hydrolysis residues with thermal and catalytic pyrolysis

This study evaluates an integrated process for the production of platform chemicals and diesel miscible biofuels. An energy crop (Miscanthus) was treated hydrothermally to produce levulinic acid (LA). Temperatures ranging between 150 and 200 °C, sulfuric acid concentrations 1-5 wt.% and treatment times 1-12 h were applied to give different combined severity factors. Temperatures of 175 and 200 °C and acid concentration of 5 wt.% were found to be necessary to achieve good yield (17 wt.%) and selectivities of LA while treatment time did not have an effect. The acid hydrolysis residues were characterized for their elemental, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin contents, and then tested in a small-scale pyrolyzer using silica sand and a commercial ZSM-5 catalyst. Milder pretreatment yielded more oil (43 wt.%) and oil O ₂ (37%) while harsher pretreatment and catalysis led to more coke production (up to 58 wt.%), less oil (12 wt.%) and less oil O ₂ (18 wt.%).