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Hydrothermal Conversion of Spent Sugar Beets into High-Value Platform Molecules
Jens Pfersich1, Pablo J Arauzo1, Michela Lucian2
1Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 9, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 2, 2020
Summary
Spent sugar beets can be transformed into valuable bio-based products. Hydrothermal treatment yields chars comparable to subbituminous coal and enables the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).
Area of Science:
- Biomass valorization
- Waste-to-energy
- Green chemistry
Background:
- Increasing demand for bio-based products necessitates utilizing waste streams.
- Spent sugar beets are an underutilized agricultural residue, primarily used for animal feed or fertilizer.
- Converting waste into valuable products aligns with circular economy principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of spent sugar beets as a feedstock for bio-based products.
- To evaluate the properties of chars derived from hydrothermal treatment of spent sugar beets.
- To explore the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from spent sugar beet components.
Main Methods:
- Hydrothermal treatment of spent sugar beets to produce chars.
- Characterization of char properties, including H/C ratio and higher heating value (HHV).
- Hydrothermal conversion of glucose and fructose derived from spent sugar beets to produce HMF.
Main Results:
- Chars produced had an H/C ratio of 1.2 and HHV of 22.7 MJ/kg, comparable to subbituminous coal.
- Hydrothermal treatment of glucose and fructose mixtures yielded HMF.
- Maximum HMF concentration achieved was 3.4 g/L at 200 °C.
Conclusions:
- Spent sugar beets are a promising feedstock for producing energy-dense chars and platform chemicals like HMF.
- Hydrothermal processing offers a viable route for valorizing this agricultural waste.
- Further optimization could enhance HMF yields and broaden the applications of spent sugar beet-derived products.
Keywords:
HMFagro-residuesbiomassbiorefineryhydrocharhydrolysishydrothermal carbonizationsugar beetssugarsMore Related Videos
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