Development of bioprocess for corncob-derived levulinic acid production

Area of Science:

• Biomass Conversion
• Green Chemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Levulinic acid is a key platform chemical derived from biomass.
• Agrowastes present an underutilized renewable feedstock.
• Valorization of agrowastes is crucial for sustainable biorefineries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To statistically optimize the hydrothermal conversion of corncob to levulinic acid.
• To maximize levulinic acid yield from agricultural waste.
• To explore sustainable production of biofuels and biopolymers.

Main Methods:

• Corncob selected as feedstock based on high carbohydrate content (71.93%).
• Box-Behnken design employed to optimize four factors: feedstock concentration, reaction time, temperature, and catalyst concentration.
• Hydrothermal conversion performed at 180°C for 30 min using 1 M H2SO4 and 120 g/L corncob.

Main Results:

• Maximum levulinic acid yield of 19.9% achieved.
• Co-production of 8.1 g/L formic acid was observed.
• Statistically optimized conditions confirmed for efficient conversion.

Conclusions:

• Hydrothermal conversion of corncob is an effective method for levulinic acid production.
• Optimized process contributes to agrowaste valorization and biorefinery development.
• Findings support the use of renewable feedstocks to address climate change.