PRODUCTION OF 5-HYDROXYMETHYLFURFURAL (HMF) VIA FRUCTOSE DEHYDRATION: EFFECT OF SOLVENT AND SALTING-OUT

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a key renewable platform compound for production of fuels and chemical intermediates. The production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from fructose dehydration was studied using H3PO4 as catalyst, in organic/water system with different solvents (acetone, 2-butanol and ethyl ether). The effect of fructose concentration, temperature and acid concentration was investigated in acetone/water medium. The increase in fructose concentration favors the formation of condensation products and rehydration products are favored at high acid concentration. The solvents exhibited similar performance when the volume ratio of organic to aqueous phase was 1:1, but when this ratio increases to 2:1, the HMF yield obtained with ether was much lower. NaCl addition to the aqueous phase promoted the extraction of HMF to the organic phase, with an HMF yield of 80% in the case of 2:1 acetone/water medium.