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We propose an integrated strategy for the production of vital platform chemicals, levoglucosenone (LGO) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), used to produce a high-value chemical, 1,6-hexandiol, from lignocellulosic biomass. In such processes of producing essential chemicals from biomass, cellulose loading in the solvent has a significant impact on production yield and, consequently, the economics of the process. In this study, we compare four different loadings of 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt% to suggest the optimal cellulose loading in tetrahydrofuran. The integrated process is economically optimal at a cellulose loading of 5 wt%. The minimum selling price (MSP) of the LGO and HMF mixture is estimated to be $2387/ton, which is competitive compared with the previously reported MSP of $2920/ton (He et al. Green Chemistry,19, 3642–3653, 2017), at the optimal loading of 5 wt%. • An integrated strategy for producing platform chemicals from biomass is proposed. • Optimal cellulose loading is presented to improve the economics of the process. • The minimum selling price of the LGO and HMF mixture is calculated. • Major cost drivers of the integrated process are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new process for the coproduction of butene oligomers (BO) as biofuel and adipic acid (ADA) as a high-value chemical from lignocellulosic biomass is developed. In the proposed process, the split mass ratio of gamma-valerolactone (GVL) are controlled for efficient production of BO and ADA according to the market requirements of each product. Three distinct strategies are investigated, wherein the GVL split mass ratio is varied to produce BO and ADA in ratios of 2:1, 1:1, or 1:2, demonstrating how process economics are affected by modification of fuel and chemical production. The minimum selling prices of BO are calculated as 4.74, 3.14, and 2.90 dollars per gallon of gasoline equivalent in each case, indicating that the process in which BO and ADA are produced in a ratio of 1:2 is the most economical. Key cost drivers for the process are identified from sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Additionally, life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to investigate the environmental impacts of the proposed process. When the production ratio of BO and ADA is 2:1, the environmental impact is minimal, showing 0.151 kg CO 2 eq and −0.075 kg oil eq, respectively, for climate change and fossil depletion. • A new process for the coproduction of butene oligomers and adipic acid is developed. • Three strategies with different production rates of the two products are analyzed. • The minimum selling price of butene oligomers in the three strategies is calculated. • The environmental impact of the three coproduction strategies is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous processes that produce only fuel from lignocellulosic biomass have the drawback that they are not economic. To overcome this, a biorefinery process is developed to coproduce ethanol as a renewable fuel and adipic acid as a value-added product. This strategy incorporates biomass fractionation, enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to ethanol, and catalytic conversion of hemicellulose to adipic acid. The developed experimental-based process model is used to evaluate the economic feasibility and environmental impact of the integrated coproduction strategy. The results show that the coproduction biorefinery has a lower minimum selling price for ethanol ($2.84/gallon of gasoline equivalent) and less environmental impact (2.44 kg CO 2 eq. for climate change and 0.32 kg oil eq. for fossil depletion) than current biofuel production processes. This suggests that biorefinery can be improved economically and environmentally with the coproduction of value-added commodities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An integrated strategy is proposed to coproduce multiple value-added chemicals. • Heat integration is performed with two heat pumps to reduce energy requirements. • The minimum selling price of 1,6-hexanediol is calculated. • Major cost drivers are identified to further improve process economics. An integrated strategy of multiple catalytic conversions was developed to completely utilize three major fractions of biomass, thereby increasing the revenue from lignocellulosic biomass (white birch). Cellulose was converted into 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HDO) with a yield of 21.8% via a series of catalytic conversions, hemicellulose was converted into furfural with a yield of 87.2% via dehydration, and lignin was purified into high-purity lignin with a yield of 71.7% via two-step purification. Heat integration was performed to mitigate the challenges associated with the large energy requirements of the process. Additionally, a techno-economic analysis was conducted to investigate the feasibility of the proposed process. The minimum selling price (MSP) of 1,6-HDO is estimated to be $3,922/ton, meaning that the economics of the proposed process are favorable compared to petroleum-derived 1,6-HDO production ($4,400/ton). The effect of economic parameters on the MSP of 1,6-HDO was also investigated via a wide array of sensitivity analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A biorefining process is developed to produce butene oligomers from biomass. • 1,5-pentanediol and high-purity lignin are coproduced to improve process economics. • Heat integration is performed to reduce energy requirements by 86.7%. • The minimum selling price of butene oligomers is calculated as $4.21/GGE. • Major cost drivers of the process are derived via sensitivity analysis. In conventional biomass-to-biofuel production processes, cellulose and hemicellulose are converted only to biofuels. However, to improve the economics of the process, it is desirable that some fractions of biomass be produced as fuels and other fractions as chemicals. This coproduction of fuels and chemicals also enables a flexible response to the market conditions of bioproducts, rather than producing only biofuels or biochemicals. Moreover, the use of all fractions, not only cellulose and hemicellulose but also lignin, improves the economics of the process. We propose a biorefinery strategy for the coproduction of liquid hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, all three primary components of biomass were converted into high-value products that can be commercialized: (1) cellulose, which is converted into butene oligomers (BO) for transportation fuels, (2) hemicellulose, which is converted into 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PDO) that can be used as polyester and polyurethane components, and (3) lignin, which is converted into carbon products, such as carbon fibers or battery anodes. By maximizing the biomass utilization up to 47.8% from biomass to valuable products, the economic viability of the proposed process can be increased. Technoeconomic analysis shows that the minimum selling price of BO is $4.21 per gallon of gasoline equivalent in the integrated strategy, indicating that it is a promising alternative to current biofuel production approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strategy for the production of 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HDO) from biomass is developed in this study. 1,6-HDO is obtained via various continuous catalytic conversions, including dehydration, hydrogenation, and hydrogenolysis. Effective separation blocks are designed to enable the reusing of the solvent and hydrogen as well as for the recovery of 1,6-HDO. Heat integration is performed to reduce energy requirements and a significant amount of energy is recovered by introducing heat pumps into the heat integration network. In our technoeconomic analysis, the minimum selling price of 1,6-HDO is estimated to be $5282/ton. This indicates that the proposed process has the potential to replace conventional petroleum-based methods for producing 1,6-HDO. Moreover, a pioneer plant analysis is carried out to assess the risks and uncertainties of a production plant by estimating performance shortfalls and growth costs. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the economic feasibility of the proposed process. • A new process is synthesized based on experimental data for conversion of cellulose to 1,6-HDO. • Heat integration with heat pump is performed to reduce energy requirements. • The minimum selling price of 1,6-HDO is estimated via techno-economic analysis. • Economics of the newly developed plant is investigated through pioneer plant analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has attracted considerable attention as a building block for renewable polymers, as it can substitute conventional petroleum-derived terephthalic acid as a monomer for the synthesis of polyethylene terephthalate. In this study, we develop a new process for the co-production of FDCA, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA), and activated carbon from lignocellulosic biomass to make the production of renewable plastics cost-competitive by generating high-value chemicals at the same time. Through an effective pretreatment technology employing a mixture of gamma-valerolactone and H 2 O as a solvent, biomass is separated into its components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), and then the cellulose and hemicellulose can be converted to FDCA and THFA, respectively. We designed separation subsystems to recover the solvents and purify the final products. Pinch analysis was conducted to form a heat exchanger network for reducing utility requirements. In techno-economic analysis, the proposed process was compared with a different strategy (Strategy B) producing FDCA and activated carbon but not THFA. The proposed process is economically superior to Strategy B, meaning that the production of THFA from hemicellulose has a positive effect on process economics rather than being used for heat and electricity. We conducted an uncertainty analysis using the Monte-Carlo simulation method for the minimum selling price of FDCA to quantify the risks of the proposed process and provide a more realistic estimation to decision makers. Furthermore, the sustainability of the proposed process was demonstrated via life-cycle assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An integrated 3D SMR modeling and hydrogen production process is developed. • Reactor productivity and overall process efficiency are evaluated simultaneously. • Various operating conditions are investigated using the proposed integrated design. Steam methane reforming (SMR) is a widely adopted method for H 2 production due to its advantages in the maturity of technology and economic feasibility. Since the optimization of an SMR reactor in the overall H 2 production process is important to reduce energy loss and increase productivity, the analysis of the reactor is essential. However, in order to increase the efficiency of the entire H 2 production process, it is necessary to analyze the entire process in an integrated manner rather than focusing on an SMR reactor. To this end, we develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the SMR reactor and integrate it with the H 2 production process based on experimental data, to simultaneously evaluate the H 2 productivity and process thermal efficiency. The reactor yield and process efficiency according to operating conditions were evaluated by combining the exact rate of heat transfer of the SMR reactor into process simulation. The integration model achieved higher accuracy of modeling the process than the individual modeling of the SMR reactor and the H 2 production process. From the parametric study via the integration model, the most advantageous set of operating conditions of the H 2 production process is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]