Simultaneous production of 1,6-hexanediol, furfural, and high-purity lignin from white birch: Process integration and techno-economic evaluation

An integrated strategy of multiple catalytic conversions was developed to completely utilize three major fractions of biomass, thereby increasing the revenue from lignocellulosic biomass (white birch). Cellulose was converted into 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HDO) with a yield of 21.8% via a series of catalytic conversions, hemicellulose was converted into furfural with a yield of 87.2% via dehydration, and lignin was purified into high-purity lignin with a yield of 71.7% via two-step purification. Heat integration was performed to mitigate the challenges associated with the large energy requirements of the process. Additionally, a techno-economic analysis was conducted to investigate the feasibility of the proposed process. The minimum selling price (MSP) of 1,6-HDO is estimated to be $3,922/ton, meaning that the economics of the proposed process are favorable compared to petroleumderived 1,6-HDO production ($4,400/ton). The effect of economic parameters on the MSP of 1,6-HDO was also investigated via a wide array of sensitivity analyses.

Automated summary

An integrated strategy was developed to utilize different fractions of biomass, producing 1,6-hexanediol, furfural, and high-purity lignin, with heat integration to mitigate energy challenges. Techno-economic analysis showed favorable economics for the process, with sensitivity to economic parameters affecting the minimum selling price of 1,6-hexanediol.