Process design and techno-economic evaluation for the production of platform chemical for hydrocarbon fuels from lignocellulosic biomass using biomass-derived γ-valerolactone

We report a strategy for production of 5-nonanone which is a bio-based platform chemical that can be produced in large quantity from a variety of lignocellulosic biomass sources. In this strategy, the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of lignocellulosic biomass are catalytically converted to γ-valerolactone (GVL) using the biomass derived GVL as a solvent. To generate the integrated strategy, we develop separation subsystems to achieve high purity of product. Importantly, GVL can be upgraded to 5-nonanone with high yield in a single reactor using a dual catalyst bed of Pd/Nb₂O₅ plus ceria-zirconia. We design a heat exchanger network to satisfy the total energy requirements of the integrated process via combusting lignin fraction of biomass. Economic feasibility of the process is investigated using discounted cash flow analysis.