Fuel additives, levulinic acid esters

Levulinic acid is obtained by hydrolysis of cellulose-containing biomass. R D is actively conducted at DuPont Co. to employ levulinic acid for the synthesis of pyr-rolidones (solvents and surfactants), a-methylene-y-valerolactone [monomer for the preparation of polymers similar to poly(methyl methacrylate)], and levulinic acid esters (fuel additives) [26]. 

Levulinic acid esters have been studied extensively (11) as fuel additives. Ethyllevulinate meets or exceeds the ASTM D-975 diesel fuel standard and numerous other qualifiers. It can be prepared directly from levulinic acid and... 

The rehydration product of HMF, levulinic acid, is also regarded as a potential biomass derived organic compound [35, 39,40]. Levulinic acid could be utilized as feedstock for several large volume chemicals (Fig. 7), e.g., methyltetrahydrofuran and levulinate esters (fuel additives), delta-amino-levulinic acid (herbicide), and diphenohc acid (replacer for bisphenol A for polycarbonates). 

Production of levulinic acid from cellulose produces one mole of formic acid for every mole of levulinic acid produced on a stoichiometric basis. Large volume production of levulinic acid would yield large quantities of formic acid. We have found that AL and formic acid will react with olefins and water in the presence of acid catalysts to yield both formate and levulinate esters. All these products are attractive fuel additives. 

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