Work

Future development for furfural production: Comparison of one-step and two-step strategies and life cycle assessment

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A zinc loaded carbon-based solid acid ZnCS-2 was developed for the two-step catalytic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to furfural (FF). The reaction was carried out for 60 min at 180°C using a 10 wt% dosage of the catalyst and the FF yield was up to 72.4%. Based on this, a conceptual system process for a two-step FF production system (TSF) was established. Aiming at performing a quantitative comparison with traditional production, a one-step FF production system (OSF) was performed. The results demonstrated that the final yield of the TSF process exceeded that of the OSF process by 49.9%. For every ton of furfural produced, the TSF process resulted in reductions of 186.15 kg CO2 eq in emissions compared with OSF. Owing to the higher yield and sulfur-free corncob residue, the profitability of TSF process was found to be 6.75 times greater than that of the OSF process.

Source: Industrial Crops and Products

DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2025.120807

Authors: Shaomin Zhou, Xi Zhang, Lulu Zhan, Xianliang Song, Rui Li, Yulong Wu

Institutions: Beijing Forestry University, Tsinghua University

Language: English

Topic: Catalysis for Biomass Conversion

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,720