Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Humins in Mixtures of Formic Acid/2-Propanol with Supported Ruthenium Catalysts

Abstract

The catalytic hydrotreatment of humins, which are the solid byproducts from the conversion of C6 sugars (glucose, fructose) into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), by using supported ruthenium catalysts has been investigated. Reactions were carried out in a batch setup at elevated temperatures (400 °C) by using a hydrogen donor (formic acid (FA) in isopropanol (IPA) or hydrogen gas), with humins obtained from d-glucose. Humin conversions of up to 69 % were achieved with Ru/C and FA, whereas the performance for Ru on alumina was slightly poorer (59 % humin conversion). Humin oils were characterized by using a range of analytical techniques (GC, GC-MS, GCxGC, gel permeation chromatography) and were shown to consist of monomers, mainly alkyl phenolics (>45 % based on compounds detectable by GC) and higher oligomers. A reaction network for the reaction is proposed based on structural proposals for humins and the main reaction products.

Keywords: biomass; heterogeneous catalysis; ruthenium; supported catalysts; synthesis design.