Comparison of pyrolysis and hydrolysis processes for furfural production from sugar beet pulp: A case study in southern Idaho, USA

摘要

Furfural is an organic compound that is widely used in the chemical industry for manufacturing various products, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and solvents. Furfural production from biomass feedstocks can be achieved through various conversion pathways (e.g., pyrolysis or hydrolysis), however, it requires further investigation to reduce the total cost and meet the market needs. This study proposes a multi-objective decision making framework to compare techno-economic and environmental aspects of pyrolysis and hydrolysis technologies for furfural production from sugar beet pulp. Life cycle assessment method is applied for investigating the environmental impacts of converting organic materials to intermediate bioproducts (e.g., bio-oil) on-site, near collection area, using a portable refinery unit. The techno-economic assessment employs an optimization model for minimizing the upstream and midstream costs (e.g., collection, transportation, and production). Sustainability assessments are conducted on a real case study in southern Idaho, USA, to evaluate and verify the methodology and demonstrate the application of this study. The results show that the total cost for furfural production, using pyrolysis and hydrolysis, are approximately $846 and $980 per metric ton, and total emission is 267 and 1095 kg CO2 eq. per metric ton, respectively. Therefore, the pyrolysis pathway results in lower emissions and costs due to the high-water demand and low energy-density feedstock transportation associated with the hydrolysis pathway. It is concluded that portable operations near collection sites can reduce the total costs and emissions, and consequently stimulate sustainable furfural production by addressing upstream and midstream challenges.