Kinetic modeling of the multistep hydrolysis-dehydration of cellulose to platform molecules over a solid carbon acid catalyst in pure water

Abstract

The present study is devoted to kinetic modeling of cellulose hydrolysis-dehydration into platform molecules (glucose and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural) over a carbon solid acid catalyst. Cellulose depolymerization and transformations of the main process intermediates were experimentally studied under hydrothermal conditions in pure water over a catalyst based on sulfonated Sibunit material at 180 °C in a batch reactor. Based on the data obtained, the 18-step kinetic scheme of the process which included the main reaction pathways was proposed as well as the reaction constants were determined. Kinetic parameters showed that solid acid carbon catalysts seems to be more suitable than soluble ones for the production of 5-HMF from sugars. The proposed software modeling of cellulose hydrolysis-dehydration described the experimental results obtained with a sufficient accuracy. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].