Dexby de Guzman, Rizalinda de Leon*
Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.1, pp. 145-162, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.011646
Abstract Levulinic acid (LA) is a platform biorefinery chemical from biomass which can be converted to green solvents, plasticizers, polymer precursors, bio-based cleaning agents, fuels and fuel additives. This study assessed the potential of SnCl2-based mixed acid systems as catalyst in the hydrothermal conversion of microcrystalline cellulose to levulinic acid. Maximum LA yield of 36.2 mol% was achieved using 0.2 M SnCl2 concentration at test conditions of 3 h, 180°C and 1% w/v cellulose loading. To reduce precipitate formation and further improve LA yield, the strategy employed was to combine SnCl2 (a Lewis acid) with conventional mineral acids (Bronsted acids). Evaluation… More >
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