(570a) Effective Conversion of Pentose-Rich Biomass into Furfural By Two-Stage Thermos-Chemical Pretreatment

This study aimed to convert discarded biomass from nature into valuable chemicals through a pre-treatment process. The process involves two stages: separating pentose from biomass using a catalyst and refining the separated pentose to prepare it for subsequent reactions. Pentose undergoes transformation into furfural by accepting H+ ions facilitated by a catalyst and undergoing the removal of three water molecules. The study compared reactivity differences by varying reaction time, temperature, concentration, and catalyst. The resulting furfural has applications in various fields, such as solvents in oil refining and as a fungicide. The byproduct of this experiment was pretreated biomass, which can be expected to exhibit a high rate of enzymatic hydrolysis. Ultimately, this experiment suggests the potential for producing high-value furfural using biomass with a high enzymatic hydrolysis rate and pentose obtained through primary hydrolysis. This research highlights the potential for manufacturing high-value chemicals through chemical pre-treatment of readily available biomass from nature.