The production of chemicals from biomass represents a focal point of contemporary chemical research. Unlike petroleum, the highly oxygenated nature of sugar-based feedstock necessitates processing in the liquid phase. Unfortunately, the addition of a solvent, along with the chelating nature of the substrates in solution, can dramatically impact the stability of solid catalysts, particularly when elevated pressures and temperatures are required. As such, despite the surge of interest in catalytic sugar upgrading, the development of robust catalytic materials, capable of continuous operation has not yet been achieved. As such, study and optimization of the stability of various catalysts under true operational conditions is an essential challenge.<br/><br/>During this presentation, we will highlight our team’s recent research focused upon overcoming the deactivation of zeolite Sn-Beta during the continuous upgrading of hexoses. Specifically, the isomerisation of glucose to fructose, and the conversion of hexoses to alkyl lactates, will be discussed. In addition to highlighting the various mechanisms of deactivation present in each of these systems, strategies to overcome these processes – including novel material design and process optimisation – will be highlighted. We also show how the combination of catalyst design and reaction engineering results in space-time-yield improvements of over 2 orders of magnitude in each of these systems.

Preventing the deactivation of Sn-containing zeolites during continuous biomass processing

256th National Meeting (2018)

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