Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Conversion of biomass sugars to platform chemicals by homogeneous acid catalyst in organic water mixtures(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2022) Scheffel, Aidan James; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie Wettstein; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Lignocellulosic biomass could serve as an alternative to petroleum for the production of platform chemicals that can be upgraded to bio-based plastics, chemicals, and fuels. The polysaccharides present in the cellular structure of biomass can be hydrolyzed into common sugars, which can be further reacted into important chemical intermediates such as furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and levulinic acid. However, current commercial processes typically result in low yields. This work aimed to study the conversion of model sugars (glucose, xylose, and arabinose) into platform chemicals using a homogeneous acid catalyst in a variety of organic-water mixtures, and compare those findings to reactions carried out using biomass under the same conditions. Reactions were performed in 50-50 solvent-water mixtures using sulfolane, tetrahydrofuran (THF), or gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) as the solvent and using a sulfuric acid catalyst. Intermediate wheatgrass was used in the biomass reactions and its composition was determined using standard NREL methods. Similar trends were observed in both pure sugar and biomass reactions in which the solvent choice had little effect on maximum yield of furfural, HMF, or levulinic acid. However, the THF/water solvent achieved maximum yields at lower severities than the other solvent mixtures indicating that a combination of less time, lower temperature, and/or less acid could be used in the THF reactions compared to the others. Compared to previously published research that found the solvent polarity correlated with product yields of furfural in reactions with no acid present, the effects of solvent properties may be minimized by the presence of the acid catalyst. Higher yields were achieved in biomass reactions than in pure sugar reactions, possibly due to unaccounted for reaction pathways or lowering of degradation reaction rates due to a lower initial reactant weight percent.Item Solid acid catalysts for biomass and sugar upgrading to furans(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2019) Romo, Joelle Elise; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie Wettstein; Nathan V. Bollar, Coy J. Zimmermann and Stephanie G. Wettstein were co-authors of the article, 'Conversion of sugars and biomass to furans using heterogeneous catalysts in biphasic solvent systems' in the journal 'ChemCatChem' which is contained within this thesis.; Ting Wu, Xinlei Huang, Jolie Lucero, Jennifer L. Irwin, Jesse Q. Bond, Moises A. Carreon and Stephanie G. Wettstein were co-authors of the article, 'SAPO-34/5A zeolite bead catalysts for furan production from xylose and glucose' in the journal 'ACS omega' which is contained within this thesis.Platform chemicals derived from biomass provide a viable alternative to petroleum-based fuels, chemicals, and materials. The efficient production of chemical building blocks, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurufral (HMF) and furfural, requires an optimized catalyst and reaction system, as well as an efficient system in which catalysts and products can be easily recovered. While homogeneous acid catalysts have historically been a popular choice for furan production, additional safety, material, and corrosion considerations motivates the exploration of heterogeneous solid acid catalysts. Furthermore, biphasic reaction systems, which use an organic solvent to continuously extract products, have shown increased furan yields over aqueous and monophasic systems and can allow for easy product recovery if the boiling point is selected carefully. One class of heterogeneous catalysts known as zeolites, has unique potential for furfural and HMF production with its controlled acidic and structural properties. A novel SAPO- 34/5A zeolite bead is presented in this thesis, showing promise in catalyst design for activity, product selectivity, and stability. The combination of optimized solvent systems with carefully designed solid acid catalysts lays a framework for the progression of platform chemical production from biomass. Additionally, a comprehensive review of heterogeneous catalysts for furan production in biphasic systems is presented here, which informs decisions on optimized solvent selection.Item Catalysts for hydrotreating Synthoil(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1978) Anderson, Mark DouglasItem Upgrading of solvent refined coal (SRC-II) liquids by catalytic hydrotreating and the effect of water on catalyst activity(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1982) Sahin, TurgutItem Catalytic activity of P-cymene cracking on silica-alumina catalysts(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1988) Lin, BaiItem Catalysts for hydrotreating COED Pyrolysis Oil(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1978) Kujawa, Stephan TimothyItem Catalysts for hydrotreating solvent refined coal (SRC-II)(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1979) Ramer, Ronald JamesItem A study of new methods for the simultaneous measurement of diffusion and pore structure in catalyst supports(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1984) Drake, Mark ClaytonItem Catalytic hydrotreating of solvent refined coal (SPC-II) : the effect of metal combinations, impregnation technique and water addition on catalyst activity(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1983) Sahin, TurgutItem Copper catalysis of polymerization of sunflower oil diesel fuel(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 1985) Jette, Stephen John