SAPO-34/5A Zeolite Bead Catalysts for Furan Production from Xylose and Glucose

SAPO-34 zeolite crystals were grown on zeolite 5A beads, characterized, and then used to produce furfural from xylose and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from glucose. The SAPO-34/5A bead catalysts resulted in moderate furfural and HMF yields of 45% from xylose and 20% from glucose (463 K; 3 h) and were easier to recover than the SAPO-34 powder catalyst. At 463 K, the SAPO-34/5A beads were more selective than 0.02 M sulfuric acid for producing HMF and, unlike the sulfuric acid system, no levulinic acid was formed. The SAPO-34/5A bead catalysts had no significant loss in activity after three rounds of recycle when water washed or heated overnight between reactions; however, the heat-treated beads did show signs of thermal stress after the second reuse. The SAPO-34/5A bead catalysts show promise for dehydration reactions to produce furfural and HMF from xylose and glucose, respectively, and tailoring the catalyst and the support bead could lead to even higher selectivities and yields.