Most research in furfural production has focused on the dehydration of xylose through homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis in water, ionic liquids, or bi-phasic solvent systems. In an effort to increase the yield and selectivity of furfural production, we have produced furfural from the ketose isomer of xylose, namely xylulose. Production of furfural directly from xylulose has not been considered a viable option due to the excessive cost of high purity xylulose. However, we have developed a method of simultaneous isomerization and reactive extraction (SIRE) for producing concentrated xylulose at high purity. Using this xylulose-rich media, we have achieved high-yield, high-selectivity production of furfural under relatively low temperature conditions. We have also conducted this synthesis using a bi-phasic reaction system.
We have evaluated several potential reaction models to determine the reaction kinetics of the xylulose dehydration and side reactions that affect furfural yield. Using the mathematical model, we have been able to determine the most probable reaction mechanism as well as optimal conditions for furfural production from xylulose. By optimizing parameters such as temperature and reaction time, furfural yield can be maximized and byproduct production minimized from the xylulose-rich feed.