Monomers based on Renewable Raw Materials

A report by the US Department of Energy in 2004 listed a large number of chemicals and materials that can be derived from biomass, of which 12 value-added chemicals were identified as potential building blocks [9]. This list was recently revised by Bozell and Petersen [10], and now comprises the following monomers which can be considered as promising monomers for a whole series of industrially interesting chemicals  

Glycerine and derivatives Lactic acid Succinic acid 

Hydroxypropionic acid/aldehyde Levulinic acid Sorbitol Xylitol 

Ethanol from sugars or starch is used in large quantities either as a fuel or fuel additive, or increasingly as a raw material for the production of (green) ethylene and polyethylene (PE). The principle of the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene can also be applied to other biobased alcohols, thus giving access to bioolefins and biohydrocarbons [11]. 

Furfural is the starting material for the industrial production of almost all furan compounds and is industrially produced from a pentosan-rich biomass like corn cobs, oat hulls, almond husks, cottonseed hull bran, birch wood, bagasse and sunflower husks in large quantities ( 200,000 mt/a). Several process improvements have been developed at pilot scale in recent years which lead to higher yields (up to 80%) due to reduced side reactions and improved product recovery [12,13]. 

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