Chemicals, biomass adipic acid

Numerous chemical intermediates are oxygen rich. Methanol, acetic acid and ethylene glycol show a O/C atomic ratio of 1, as does biomass. Other major chemicals intermediates show a lower O/C ratio, typically between 1/3 and 2/3. This holds for instance for propene and butene glycols, ethanol, (meth)acrylic acids, adipic acid and many others. The presence of some oxygen atoms is required to confer the desired physical and chemicals properties to the product. Selective and partial deoxygenation of biomass may represent an attractive and competitive route compared with the selective and partial oxidation of hydrocarbon feedstock. 

Use renewable feed stocks Choose a raw material or a feed stock that is renewable rather than depleting, wherever possible. The alternate route for synthesis of chemicals using biomass as feed stock is an option to be explored. For example, biochemical synthesis of adipic acid using n-glucose as a feed stock is an ecofriendly alternative to the traditional chemical s)mthesis of adipic acid using benzene as feed stock. 

Alternatively, the biomass feedstock (annually renewable resources) can be converted to bio-monomers by fermentation or hydrolysis. The biomonomers can be further modified by a biological or chemical route. As shown in Figure 10, the biomonomers can be fermented to give succinic acid, adipic acid, 1,3-propane diol - precursor chemicals for the manufacture of polyesters - example is DuPont s Sorona polyestyer made from a bio 1,3-propanediol.. Biomonomers... 

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