13 May 2015
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VTT has demonstrated that lignocellulosic biomass
can be successfully converted into
pure BTX chemicals: benzene, toluene and xylene.
The aim of this research is to enable
the use of wood-based chemicals
to replace crude oil in, for example,
plastics, fuels, medicine and paints.
Demand has grown rapidly for chemicals generated
from renewable sources, creating a need for alternative,
environmentally friendly production routes.
Particularly sought-after chemicals include
pure aromatics, such as
the BTX chemicals benzene, toluene and xylene.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
has developed a method of manufacturing BTX chemicals
by combining the gasification of lignocellulosic biomass,
the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and aromatisation.
Over 85% of the separated benzene exceeded 90% purity and
around 50% of the separated toluene was over 70% purity.
The process can be applied to the production of bio-based chemicals.
However, both benzene and toluene can also be used
in the manufacture of more sophisticated compounds, such as
paracetamol, a painkiller that
VTT used as an example compound in its tests.
Since the compound's synthetic route requires pure source materials,
VTT's research proves the high quality of aromatics produced
through gasification.
VTT has calculated that the estimated price of pure BTX fractions
is EUR 1.40 per litre. This price is higher than
the current price of raw material derived from crude oil,
but significantly more competitive than
the price of other bio-based routes.
VTT is continuing larger-scale development work in
its Bioruukki piloting centre in Espoo, Finland.
The aim is to demonstrate
the industrial viability of the entire process –
from biomass to aromatics to end products –
by producing several kilos of material.
VTT will further develop the synthetic route in order to
improve the technical and economic feasibility of
the process as a step towards commercial viability.
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
