PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FURFURAL, LEVULINIC ACID, AND OTHER SUGAR-DERIVED PRODUCTS FROM BIOMASS

摘要

In some variations, the invention provides a process for producing furfural, 5- hydroxymethylfurfural, and/or levulinic acid from cellulosic biomass, comprising: fractionating the feedstock in the presence of a solvent for lignin, sulfur dioxide, and water, to produce a liquor containing hemicellulose, cellulose-rich solids, and lignin; hydrolyzing the hemicellulose contained in the liquor, to produce hemicellulosic monomers; dehydrating the hemicellulose to convert at least a portion of C5 hemicelluloses to furfural and to convert at least a portion of C6 hemicelluloses to 5- hydroxymethylfurfural; converting at least some of the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to levulinic acid and formic acid; and recovering at least one of the furfural, the 5- hydroxymethylfurfural, or the levulinic acid. Other embodiments provide a process for dehydrating hemicellulose to convert oligomeric C5 hemicelluloses to furfural and to convert oligomeric C6 hemicelluloses to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The furfural may be converted to succinic acid, or to levulinic acid, for example.