Furfural production using aqueous deep eutectic solvent

Abstract

The largest solid waste from crude palm oil plant is Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB). OPEFB contains cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. Cellulose has been utilized in some biochemical and materials, but hemicellulose was not optimally used yet. Hemicellulose can be converted to xylose and used as feedstock for furfural production. The aim of the research was to find the best way to make furfural from xylose in an aqueous deep eutectic solvent (DES). Choline chloride was mixed with oxalic acid to form DES. The S/L ratio (xylose and DES) was varied in 5, 7.5, and 10%. The process condition includes temperature and time reaction in 80-120°C and 1-3 hours, respectively. The optimal furfural yield was obtained 38.53% by the process at 10% substrate in 105°C for 120 min. This result was promised to utilize xylose from lignocellulose to get a circular economy from lignocellulosic biomass utilization.