High-Value Chemicals

Advances in fundamental knowledge of adsorption equihbrium and mass transfer will enable further optimization of the performance of existing adsorbent types. Continuing discoveries of new molecular sieve materials will also provide adsorbents with new combinations of useflil properties. New adsorbents and adsorption processes will be developed to provide needed improvements in pollution control, energy conservation, and the separation of high value chemicals. New process cycles and new hybrid processes linking adsorption with other unit operations will continue to be developed. 

The production of many high value chemicals requires maximizing separation from a relatively dilute solution. It is common in such instances to use a combination of methods to reduce solute solubiHty in the feed solution. Figure 5, for example, illustrates that the addition of methanol to a saturated aqueous solution of L-serine can reduce solubiHty by more than an order of magnitude. 

Efficient technology could also be developed based on catalytic biomass pyrolysis for the conversion of biomass into clean and renewable liquid bio-oil. This would facilitate its introduction into the energy market as a renewable fuel or as source of high value chemicals. It is possible to produce stable liquid biofuels from biomass flash pyrolysis, in a single stage catalytic process, although further developments are necessary. 

Katryniok B, Kimura H, Skrzynska E, Giradon J-S, Fongarland P, Capron M, Ducoulombier R, Mimura N, Paul S, Dumeignil F (2011) Selective catalytic oxidation of glycerol perspectives for high value chemicals. Green Chem 13 1960-1979... 

As the above examples illustrate, the potential exists for producing larger quantities of commodity chemicals from coal. Some fators that could facilitate the increased use of coal for this purpose include price increases for petroleum and increased use of coal gasifiers for power production. As IGCC plants are built, there will be an opportunity to incorporate in the plant design the co-production of high-value chemicals. 

The purpose of this paper is to guide or at least stimulate thinking about obtaining as much value as possible from the chemicals produced from biomass pyrolysis. At optimum, all solid and liquid products could be used for chemicals, rather than fuel. At minimum, additional cash flow could be produced by recovery or production of any high value chemicals in the liquid product, leaving the balance of the products to be used as fuel. 

The first part of this paper will present the chemical recovery options for the product spectrum produced by Biocarbons Corporation s reactor system. This is followed by a general discussion and guidelines for chemical recovery from pyrolysis. This paper will also present suggestions for additional research and development to create new high value chemical products and recovery methods. 

Tall oil rosin production has recently been driven by demand for its co-product, tall oil fatty acid. United States production of tall oil rosin in 1994 was 265,000 metric tons, exceeding consumption by nearly 50,000 metric tons. Therefore, the rosin acid fraction of crude tall oil is an under-used byproduct in abundant supply, with attractive characteristics as a precursor to high value chemicals. Two components, abietic acid and dehydroabietic acid, con rise about 70% of the rosin acid fraction of tall oil. Therefore, it is a relatively single mixture, which is also a beneficial characteristic for its use as a feedstock. 

Broader use of stable solid catalysts in the synthesis of high-value chemicals... 

Broader use of stable, solid catalysts in the synthesis of high-value chemicals is important. The goal is to reduce the production cost of so-called specialty chemicals and pharmaceutical raw materials presently synthesized in batch-type processes using enzymes or alike catalysts. The successful development of stable, solid catalysts in the synthesis of stereospecific chemicals would not only serve their present market, but because of an anticipated cost reduction, may also lead to a broader use of these materials as monomers of superior polymers and various chemical products. 

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