High-temperature dilute-acid hydrolysis of olive stones for furfural production

We studied the production of furfural by acid hydrolysis of olive stones, which in Spain are an abundant lignocellulosic residue derived from the production of olive oil. We focused on the hydrolysis in dilute sulfuric acid (0.05 to 0.250 mol l(-1)), at high temperature (220-240degreesC), and short reaction times, of a few minutes at the most. The experimental study was performed in a tubing-bomb reactor system that approximately reproduces the temperature profiles obtained in a continuous tubular reactor. We obtained maximum furfural yields ranging from 50% to 65% of the potential depending on acid concentration and temperature. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.