Synergistic Catalytic Effect of Sulphated Zirconia—HCl System for Levulinic Acid and Solid Residue Production Using Microwave Irradiation

Hurst, George; Maria González-Carballo, Juan; Tosheva, Lubomira; Tedesco, Silvia

Abstract

The synergistic conversion of Miscanthus x Giganteous with sulphated zirconia and dilute hydrochloric acid was investigated. The sulphated zirconia was prepared using H2SO4 impregnation and characterised using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning Electron Miscroscope (SEM) spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The microwave-assisted reaction was evaluated at various temperatures, reaction times and catalyst-to-biomass ratios, with and without the presence of trace HCl in the solution medium for the conversion of Miscanthus x Giganteous to levulinic acid. The highest levulinic acid yield of 63.8% was achieved at 160 °C, 80 min and a 2:1 catalyst-to-biomass ratio, with 10 mM HCl. The catalyst recyclability was investigated with and without calcination, finding that significant humin deposition on the catalyst surface likely caused catalyst deactivation. The post-reaction solid residue was also characterised using SEM, EDX, XRD, elemental composition and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. Findings indicate that this residue could potentially be used as a soil amendment or as a fuel source. The synergistic conversion of real lignocellulosic biomass with sulphated zirconia and trace hydrochloric acid showed remarkable promise and should be investigated further.

Citation

Hurst, G., Maria González-Carballo, J., Tosheva, L., & Tedesco, S. (2021). Synergistic Catalytic Effect of Sulphated Zirconia—HCl System for Levulinic Acid and Solid Residue Production Using Microwave Irradiation. Energies, 14(6), Article 1582. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14061582

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 9, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 12, 2021
• Deposit Date: Oct 2, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 3, 2024
• Journal: Energies
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 6
• Article Number: 1582
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en14061582