Author, as appears in the article.: Glińska K; Lerigoleur C; Giralt J; Torrens E; Bengoa C

Department: Enginyeria Química

URV's Author/s: Bengoa, Christophe José / Giralt Marcé, Jaume / Torrens Serrahima, Esther

Keywords: Value-added chemicals Paper industry sludge Municipal primary sludge Lipids Lignocellulosic biomass Lewis Levulinic acid Ionic liquid Hydrothermal liquefaction of cellulose Extraction Conversion Cellulose recovery and bleaching

Abstract: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The progressive decline of using fossil sources in the industry means that alternative resources must be found to produce chemicals. Waste biomass (sewage sludge) and waste lignocellulosic resources (food, forestry, or paper industries) are ideal candidates to take over from fossil sources. Municipal sewage sludge, and especially primary sludge, has a significant proportion of cellulose in its composition. Proper treatment of this cellulose allows the production of interesting chemicals like levulinic acid that are precursors (bio-blocks or building blocks) for other organic chemical processes. Cellulose was extracted from municipal wet primary sludge and paper industry dried sludge with a commercial ionic liquid. More than 99% of the cellulose has been recovered in both cases. Extraction was followed by the bleaching of the cellulose for its purification. In the bleaching, a large part of the ash was removed (up to 70% with municipal sludge). Finally, the purified cellulose was converted in levulinic acid by catalyzed hydrothermal liquefaction. The reaction, done at 170◦C and 7 bar, catalyzed by a tailored Brønsted acidic ionic liquid produced levulinic acid and other by-products in smaller quantities. The process had a conversion of cellulose to levulinic acid of 0.25 with municipal sludge and of 0.31 with industrial sludge. These results fully justify the process but, require further study to increase the conversion of cellulose to levulinic acid.

Thematic Areas: Química Physical and theoretical chemistry Farmacia Environmental science (all) Engenharias ii Ciências biológicas ii Chemistry, physical Catalysis Astronomia / física

licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/

ISSN: 20734344

Author's mail: jaume.giralt@urv.cat esther.torrens@urv.cat esther.torrens@urv.cat christophe.bengoa@urv.cat

Author identifier: 0000-0001-5917-8741 0000-0001-9160-5010

Record's date: 2023-02-23

Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Link to the original source: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/10/9/1004

Licence document URL: http://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/

Papper original source: Catalysts. 10 (9): 1-16

APA: Glińska K; Lerigoleur C; Giralt J; Torrens E; Bengoa C (2020). Valorization of cellulose recovered from wwtp sludge to added value levulinic acid with a brønsted acidic ionic liquid. Catalysts, 10(9), 1-16. DOI: 10.3390/catal10091004

Article's DOI: 10.3390/catal10091004

Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Journal publication year: 2020

Publication Type: Journal Publications