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Regeneration of dimethyl carbonate and purification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural used in a biphasic dehydration process through activated carbon adsorption and evaporation

Sjölin, Mikael LU ; Sayed Ali Sayed, Mahmoud LU orcid ; Espinoza, Daniel LU ; Tallvod, Simon LU and Al-Rudainy, Basel LU (2025) In Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 13(2).
Abstract
The production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an important process for a future sustainable plastic industry. Hence many processes were developed to produce HMF, however, HMF recovery and solvent recyclability are limiting steps for the process development. Therefore, In this study, granulated activated carbon (GAC) was investigated as a purification step of HMF produced from fructose in a biphasic dimethyl carbonate (DMC): water (3:1) process, where carbon type, dose, and residence time were assessed. The optimal process conditions were then used to recover HMF through evaporation, where DMC is also regenerated. The regenerated DMC was evaluated for reusability in fructose dehydration reaction and HMF recovery from the aqueous phase.... (More)
The production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an important process for a future sustainable plastic industry. Hence many processes were developed to produce HMF, however, HMF recovery and solvent recyclability are limiting steps for the process development. Therefore, In this study, granulated activated carbon (GAC) was investigated as a purification step of HMF produced from fructose in a biphasic dimethyl carbonate (DMC): water (3:1) process, where carbon type, dose, and residence time were assessed. The optimal process conditions were then used to recover HMF through evaporation, where DMC is also regenerated. The regenerated DMC was evaluated for reusability in fructose dehydration reaction and HMF recovery from the aqueous phase. A simulation of how the adsorption process would function as a continuously fed packed column was also investigated. The results showed that the optimal carbon type was Organosorb 20-AA, with a dose of 10 g to 50 mL HMF solution at a residence time of 24 h, where around 80 % of the impurities were removed. The regenerated DMC shows similar results as a new commercial DMC in the fructose dehydration reaction and the extraction of HMF from the aqueous phase. The GAC adsorption could increase the purity of recovered HMF from 59 % to 79 %. The simulation showed that continuous adsorption in a packed bed column is a potentially viable option for the purification of HMF, although many assumptions were made in the model formulation that warrant further investigation. Overall, this downstream process successfully regenerated the DMC and increased the purity of recovered HMF. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
volume
13
issue
2
article number
115724
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85217234360
ISSN
2213-3437
DOI
10.1016/j.jece.2025.115724
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0db939df-9539-4496-a097-a66411073124
date added to LUP
2025-03-13 11:34:08
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:33:59
@article{0db939df-9539-4496-a097-a66411073124,
  abstract     = {{The production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an important process for a future sustainable plastic industry. Hence many processes were developed to produce HMF, however, HMF recovery and solvent recyclability are limiting steps for the process development. Therefore, In this study, granulated activated carbon (GAC) was investigated as a purification step of HMF produced from fructose in a biphasic dimethyl carbonate (DMC): water (3:1) process, where carbon type, dose, and residence time were assessed. The optimal process conditions were then used to recover HMF through evaporation, where DMC is also regenerated. The regenerated DMC was evaluated for reusability in fructose dehydration reaction and HMF recovery from the aqueous phase. A simulation of how the adsorption process would function as a continuously fed packed column was also investigated. The results showed that the optimal carbon type was Organosorb 20-AA, with a dose of 10 g to 50 mL HMF solution at a residence time of 24 h, where around 80 % of the impurities were removed. The regenerated DMC shows similar results as a new commercial DMC in the fructose dehydration reaction and the extraction of HMF from the aqueous phase. The GAC adsorption could increase the purity of recovered HMF from 59 % to 79 %. The simulation showed that continuous adsorption in a packed bed column is a potentially viable option for the purification of HMF, although many assumptions were made in the model formulation that warrant further investigation. Overall, this downstream process successfully regenerated the DMC and increased the purity of recovered HMF.}},
  author       = {{Sjölin, Mikael and Sayed Ali Sayed, Mahmoud and Espinoza, Daniel and Tallvod, Simon and Al-Rudainy, Basel}},
  issn         = {{2213-3437}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering}},
  title        = {{Regeneration of dimethyl carbonate and purification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural used in a biphasic dehydration process through activated carbon adsorption and evaporation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.115724}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jece.2025.115724}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}