Abstract

This invention relates to a method for producing furfural from a pentose or pentosan-containing starting material, in a pressurised continuous flow reactor followed by one or more reaction vessels, wherein the one reaction vessel is a film evaporator or wherein at least one of the more than one reaction vessels is a film evaporator; and wherein the pentose or pentosan-containing starting material is brought as a liquid stream into the pressurised continuous flow reactor.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07D 307/50 - Preparation from natural products
• C07D 307/48 - Furfural
• B01D 1/22 - Evaporating by bringing a thin layer of the liquid into contact with a heated surface

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for producing furfural from a pentose or pentosan-containing starting material in a film evaporator.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07D 307/50 - Preparation from natural products
• B01D 3/00 - Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol into a levulinate ester comprising contacting furfuryl alcohol; an alcohol, or a mixture thereof; and a homogeneous catalyst at a first reaction temperature in the range of from 125 to 180° C. to form a reaction mixture; and forming the levulinate ester in the reaction mixture, characterised in that the first homogeneous catalyst is a sulfonic acid catalyst.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 67/40 - Preparation of carboxylic acid esters by oxidation of groups which are precursors for the acid moiety of the ester by oxidation of primary alcohols
• C07C 67/00 - Preparation of carboxylic acid esters

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol into a levulinate ester comprising contacting furfuryl alcohol; an alcohol, or a mixture thereof; and a homogeneous catalyst at a first reaction temperature in the range of from 125 to 180º C to form a reaction mixture; and forming the levulinate ester in the reaction mixture, characterised in that the first homogeneous catalyst is a sulfonic acid catalyst.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 67/00 - Preparation of carboxylic acid esters
• C07C 69/716 - Esters of keto-carboxylic acids

Abstract

The present invention is directed to formulations including a polymer and a plasticizer composition. The plasticizer composition is a blend of an alkyl ketal ester plasticizer and a second plasticizer selected from a cycloaliphatic compound, an ortho phthalate compound, a terephthalate compound, a benzoate ester compound, and a bio-based compound. The plasticizer composition is at least 10% by weight of the total of the polymer and the plasticizer composition.

IPC Classes  ?

• C08K 5/1575 - Six-membered rings
• C08K 5/1565 - Five-membered rings
• C08K 5/12 - EstersEther-esters of cyclic polycarboxylic acids
• C08J 3/18 - Plasticising macromolecular compounds
• C08K 5/00 - Use of organic ingredients

Abstract

A process for the isolation of levulinic acid obtained by acid catalyzed hydrolysis of a C6-carbohydrate-containing feedstock, including the following steps: a) providing a solution 1 comprising at least 5 wt. % of levulinic acid, at least 0.1 wt. % of formic acid and at most 94.9 wt. % of solvent, relative to the total weight of solution 1, b) feeding solution 1 to a first evaporation step to treat solution 1 and to obtain solution 2, comprising at least 25 wt. % of levulinic acid, less than 20 wt. % of solvent and at least 1 wt. % of formic acid, relative to the total weight of solution 2, c) feeding solution 2 to a second evaporation step to treat solution 2 and to obtain solution 3, comprising at least 30 wt. % of levulinic acid and less than 1.0 wt. % of formic acid, relative to the total weight of solution 3, d) feeding solution 3 to a third evaporation step to treat solution 3 and to obtain levulinic acid with a purity of at least 90 wt. % and containing less than 1000 wppm angelica lactone.

IPC Classes  ?

• B01D 3/00 - Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping
• B01D 1/26 - Multiple-effect evaporating
• C07C 51/44 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation by distillation
• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

A process for the isolation of levulinic acid obtained by acid catalyzed hydrolysis of a C6-carbohydrate-containing feedstock, including the following steps: a) providing a solution 1 comprising at least 5 wt. % of levulinic acid, at least 0.1 wt. % of formic acid and at most 94.9 wt. % of solvent, relative to the total weight of solution 1, b) feeding solution 1 to a first evaporation step to treat solution 1 and to obtain solution 2, comprising at least 25 wt. % of levulinic acid, less than 20 wt. % of solvent and at least 1 wt. % of formic acid, relative to the total weight of solution 2, c) feeding solution 2 to a second evaporation step to treat solution 2 and to obtain solution 3, comprising at least 30 wt. % of levulinic acid and less than 1.0 wt. % of formic acid, relative to the total weight of solution 3, d) feeding solution 3 to a third evaporation step to treat solution 3 and to obtain levulinic acid with a purity of at least 90 wt. % and containing less than 1000 wppm angelica lactone.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 51/44 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation by distillation
• B01D 3/00 - Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping
• B01D 1/26 - Multiple-effect evaporating
• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

A levulinic acid composition A having: a. at least 95 wt. % of levulinic acid; b. between 5 wppm and 5000 wppm of formic acid; and c. less than 1000 wppm of angelica lactone, based on the total weight of the composition. A process for the isolation of a levulinic acid composition, having the following steps: a. performing acid catalyzed hydrolysis of a C6 carbohydrate-containing feedstock to obtain reaction product X, b. subjecting of reaction product X to solid-liquid separation to provide a composition 1, c. feeding composition 1 to at least two purification steps to treat composition 1 to obtain a levulinic acid composition, wherein a second or a further purification step is a melt crystallization step.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups
• C07C 51/43 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation
• C07C 51/47 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by solid-liquid treatmentSeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by chemisorption
• C07C 51/44 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation by distillation
• B01D 1/00 - Evaporating
• B01D 1/06 - Evaporators with vertical tubes
• B01D 9/00 - Crystallisation
• C07D 307/08 - Preparation of tetrahydrofuran

Abstract

The invention describes processes to prepare levulinic acid, formic acid and/or hydroxymethyl furfural from various biomass materials.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 51/00 - Preparation of carboxylic acids or their salts, halides, or anhydrides
• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

A process for the purification of levulinic acid including the following steps: a. providing a composition 1, comprising at least 75 wt. % of levulinic acid; b. cooling composition 1 to at least one temperature Tc, wherein Tc is a temperature in the range 1.23*(W1)−104.5≤Tc (° C.)≤1.23*(W1)−89.5, wherein W1 is the weight % of levulinic acid in composition 1, to obtain a cooled composition 1; c. performing melt crystallization of composition 1 including the steps of: i. bringing the cooled composition 1 into contact with levulinic acid crystal seeds, ii. allowing the levulinic acid in composition 1 to crystallize at at least one temperature Tc to obtain crystals 1 and liquid 1, and iii. draining of liquid 1; d. optionally, treating crystals 1, after draining of liquid 1, by sweating, according to the following steps: i. heating the crystals 1 at a temperature between 5 and 40° C. to obtain crystals 2 and liquid 2, and ii. draining of liquid 2; e. melting the crystals 1 or 2, after draining of liquid 1 or 2, to obtain composition 2, f. determining the levulinic acid concentration in composition 2 and, in case the levulinic acid concentration is below a predetermined value, repeating steps b, c, optionally d, and e, as many times as necessary to obtain a final composition with a predetermined levulinic acid concentration.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 51/43 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation
• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

The invention relates generally to the preparation of hydroxymethyl furfural derivatives such as 5-carboxymethyl furfural derivatives, ethers such as 5-alkoxymethyl furfural derivatives, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, levulinic acid, levulinic acid esters, and/or formic acid, formic acid esters from sugar.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07D 307/50 - Preparation from natural products
• C07D 307/48 - Furfural
• C07D 307/54 - Radicals substituted by carbon atoms having three bonds to hetero atoms with at the most one bond to halogen, e.g. ester or nitrile radicals
• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

The invention is directed to a process for the purification of levulinic acid comprising the following steps: a. Providing a composition 1, comprising at least 75 wt% of levulinic acid; b. Cooling composition 1 to at least one temperature Tc, wherein Tc is a temperature in the range 1.23*(W1) - 104.5 ≤ Tc (º C) ≤ 1.23*(W1) - 89.5, wherein W1 is the weight% of levulinic acid in composition 1, to obtain a cooled composition 1; c. Performing melt crystallization of composition 1 comprising the steps of: i. Bringing the cooled composition 1 into contact with levulinic acid crystal seeds, ii. Allowing the levulinic acid in composition 1 to crystallize at at least one temperature Tc to obtain crystals 1 and liquid 1, and iii. Draining of liquid 1; d. Optionally, treating crystals 1, after draining of liquid 1, by sweating, according to the following steps: i. Heating the crystals 1 at a temperature between 5 and 40 º C to obtain crystals 2 and liquid 2, and ii. Draining of liquid 2; e. Melting the crystals 1 or 2, after draining of liquid 1 or 2, to obtain composition 2, f. Determining the levulinic acid concentration in composition 2 and, in case the levulinic acid concentration is below a predetermined value, repeating steps b, c, optionally d, and e, as many times as necessary to obtain a final composition with a predetermined levulinic acid concentration.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 51/43 - SeparationPurificationStabilisationUse of additives by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation
• C07C 59/185 - Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

The present invention is directed to formulations including a polymer and a plasticizer composition. The plasticizer composition is a blend of an alkyl ketal ester plasticizer and a second plasticizer selected from a cycloaliphatic compound, an ortho phthalate compound, a terephthalate compound, a benzoate ester compound, and a bio-based compound. The plasticizer composition is at least 10% by weight of the total of the polymer and the plasticizer composition.

IPC Classes  ?

• C08K 5/1575 - Six-membered rings
• C08K 5/1565 - Five-membered rings
• C08K 5/12 - EstersEther-esters of cyclic polycarboxylic acids
• C08J 3/18 - Plasticising macromolecular compounds
• C08K 5/00 - Use of organic ingredients

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol into a levulinate ester comprising contacting furfuryl alcohol; an alcohol, or a mixture thereof; and a homogeneous catalyst at a first reaction temperature in the range of from 125 to 180º C to form a reaction mixture; and forming the levulinate ester in the reaction mixture, characterised in that the first homogeneous catalyst is a sulfonic acid catalyst.

IPC Classes  ?

• C07C 67/00 - Preparation of carboxylic acid esters
• C07C 69/716 - Esters of keto-carboxylic acids