12-18: Furfural production as a by-product of Lignocellulosic Biofuel Process: Experimental and Techno-Economic Analysis

The NREL’s high solids dilute acid steam pretreatment often produces a xylose rich stream with a monomeric xylose concentration in the range of 70~100g/L. The high xylose concentration inhibits the digestibility of biomass during the following whole slurry enzymatic hydrolysis, leading to a decrease in both glucose and xylose yields. In addition, xylose is not a fermentation-friendly sugar, especially to hydrocarbon fuels. However, xylose can be converted into furfural through dehydration reaction using acid catalyst. Furfural is a high-valued commodity product. In 2010, the US market average price of furfural is $8.78/gal, over 3 times higher than ethanol’s price. Furfural is also a promising intermediate to produce hydrocarbons and other biochemicals. In this study, alternative furfural production pathways are explored experimentally as a byproduct integrated with the lignocellulosic bioethanol process. The production costs of furfural using various process technology strategies are evaluated using techno-economic analysis.