Sustainable xylose production: Conceptual design, economic analysis and environmental assessment

In the context of growing energy and climate challenges, biomass-derived xylose plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development. This study presents two conceptual xylose production processes, where glucose and xylose are separated in the downstream using either membrane separation (Xylose-MS) or chemical precipitation (Xylose-CP). Techno-economic analysis shows that Xylose-CP achieves a minimum selling price of $1,183.8 per ton with a purity of 95.2 wt%, while Xylose-MS yields a higher purity of 96.7 wt% but at a significantly higher cost of $3,097.3 per ton. Raw materials are identified as the major cost drivers. Life cycle assessment indicates that Xylose-CP reduces global warming potential by 68.3% compared to Xylose-MS. Both processes achieve a 100% biogenic carbon ratio, with Xylose-CP also demonstrating higher carbon selectivity (43.1%) and product yield (57.0%). These findings provide quantitative insights to guide the industrial development of economically and environmentally sustainable xylose production.