| CPC C07D 307/50 (2013.01) [C07C 51/00 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |
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1. A method, comprising:
supplying a reactant mixture comprising a feedstock comprising cellulose and hemicellulose, and 2 wt. % to 10 wt. % of a mineral acid catalyst in a reactor;
providing steam to the reactant mixture;
condensing a first portion of the steam to heat the reactant mixture;
converting at least a portion of the cellulose to levulinic acid and formic acid and at least a portion of the hemicellulose into furfural; and
removing at least a portion of the furfural from the reactor using a second portion of the steam different from the first portion of the steam by steam stripping;
wherein:
the feedstock comprises a member selected from the group consisting of lignocellulose, wood, wood pulp, forestry trimmings, paper, corrugated cardboard, sawdust, paper pulp, agricultural residues, food processing waste, and kelp;
a liquid phase residence time in the reactor is 30 minutes to 60 minutes;
an amount of steam provided to the reactant mixture corresponds to an amount of steam calculated to heat the reactant mixture to a temperature of 190° C. to 205° C. as well as an additional amount of steam calculated to reduce an amount of furfural in the reactant mixture below 0.35 wt. %;
a steam stripping rate is selected to provide a stripping factor of from 0.25 to 1.75;
the reactor comprises a back-pressure control valve;
removing at least a portion of the furfural using a second portion of the steam forms a vapor stream comprising steam and furfural;
the vapor stream passes through the back-pressure control valve; and
at a fixed steam supply rate, a flow rate of the vapor stream through the back-pressure control valve controls a pressure of the reactor and a temperature of the reactor.
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