Production of renewable petroleum products from furfural
Researchers have demonstrated how to convert furfural into a high-quality petroleum refinery feedstock.
The principles for converting the furfural are shown in the above block flow diagram, using a four-step catalytic process:
- furfural (FAF) to furfural–acetone (2:1) dimer (i.e. the aldol condensation product of furfural and acetone),
- Oli – oligomeric adducts formed by Michael addition reactions,
- H-FAF – hydrogenated furfural–acetone (2:1) dimer,
- Cyc – cyclic compounds formed by hydrogenation and Diels–Alder reactions.
Click here to access the full article from the team, which is led by James Dumesic and George Huber (University of Wisconsin-Madison): “Production of renewable petroleum refinery diesel and jet fuels feedstocks from hemicellulose sugar streams”.
