Conversion of red-algae Gracilaria verrucosa to sugars, levulinic acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

This study employed a statistical methodology to investigate the optimization of conversion conditions and evaluate the reciprocal interaction of reaction factors related to the process of red-algae Gracilaria verrucosa conversion to sugars (glucose, galactose), levulinic acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) by acidic hydrolysis. Overall, the conditions optimized for glucose formation included a higher catalyst concentration than did those for galactose, and these conditions for galactose were similar to those for 5-HMF. Levulinic acid production, meanwhile, was optimized at a higher reaction temperature, a higher catalyst concentration, and a longer reaction time than was glucose, galactose or 5-HMF production. By this approach, the optimal yields (and reaction conditions) for glucose, galactose, levulinic acid, and 5-HMF were as follows: glucose 5.29 g/L (8.46 wt%) (reaction temperature 160 °C, catalyst concentration 1.92%, reaction time 20 min), galactose 18.38 g/L (29.4 wt%) (160 °C, 1.03%, 20 min), levulinic acid 14.65 g/L (18.64 wt%) (180.9 °C, 2.85%, 50 min), and 5-HMF 3.74 g/L (5.98 wt%) (160.5 °C, 1%, 20 min).