Pierre Faugeras

Bio: Pierre Faugeras is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Selectivity & Boiling point. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 365 citations.

Dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over H-mordenites

Abstract: Dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was performed in a batch mode in the presence of a series of dealuminated H-form mordenites as catalysts, at 165°C, and in a solvent mixture consisting of water and methyl isobutyl ketone (1:5 by volume). Under the operating conditions used, the reaction was not controlled by external or internal diffusional limitations. Fructose conversion and selectivity to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were found to depend on acidic and structural properties of the catalysts used as well as on the micropore vs. mesopore volume distribution of those catalysts. A maximum in the rate of conversion of fructose was observed for the H-mordenite with a Si/Al ratio of 11. A maximum in the selectivity to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was observed only for H-mordenites with a low mesoporous volume. The high selectivity obtained (>90%) was correlated with the shape selectivity properties of H-mordenites (bidimensional structure), and particularly with the absence of cavities within the structure allowing further formation of secondary products. The influence of the microporosity vs. mesoporosity on the selectivity to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was also studied, the formation of mesopores upon dealumination procedures being damaging to obtain a high selectivity. A significant increase in the selectivity (10%) was also obtained by simultaneous extraction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural with methyl isobutyl ketone circulating in a countercurrent manner in a continuous catalytic heterogeneous pulsed column reactor. Finally, taking into account the most recent results reported in the literature and our own results, it is possible to revise the mechanism of the dehydration of fructose.

Solvent extraction process and apparatus

Abstract: 1. Process for the extraction of a solute from a divided solid or liquid product, by means of a solvent which is lighter than the product and having a boiling point less than that of the solute, on the interior of a column, pulsed or not pulsed, containing a pack of plates or the like, the upper part of which, at least, is heated so as to create a temperature gradient rising between its base and its top, the solvant charged with solute being then separated by distillation and recycled in the base of the column, characterized in that : - the heating is regulated at a value such that towards this top a partial vaporisation of the solvant appears, the vapours thus produced are collected and condensed ; - and in the base of the column the condensate thus obtained is recycled at the same time as the pure solvant separated from the solute by distillation on the exterior of the column in the conventional manner.

Pulsed column liq.-liq. or gas-liq. extractor - has combination of disc-and-doughnut baffles and perforated plates between them increasing the efficiency in large column

Abstract: A fixed packing pulsed column has a combination of single plates or groups of plates of the disc-and-doughnut baffle or slotted tray type and single or multiple perforated plates, pref. with some of the perforated plates interspersed between the other type of plate. A group of perforated plates is pref. located at the upper and lower ends of the column. Vane-type coalescing plates are pref. included in the packing, imparting a helical movement to the two phases in the column. The perforated plates are pref. closely spaced, when grouped, while the spacing between disc-and-doughnut or slotted plates is greater, depending on the dia. of the column, so that the lateral flow path is of the same order as the axial flow path. The column is used for contacting two immiscible phases of different density with a view to transferring a solute from one phase to the other (extraction) or to reacting components of the two phases. The phases are pref. liqs. but one can be gaseous phase. For this type of column, plates of the disc-and-doughnut type are preferable, since they do not require wetting by the continuous phase, and so can be made from cheap materials, e.g. plastics, rather than stainless steel used when corrosive materials are involved. For larger dia. columns in partic., the spacing between the plates increases unacceptably, decreasing efficiency. The combination of two types of plates overcomes this problem, without having to use costly material exclusively.

Chemical Routes for the Transformation of Biomass into Chemicals

Abstract: 3.2.3. Hydroformylation 2467 3.2.4. Dimerization 2468 3.2.5. Oxidative Cleavage and Ozonolysis 2469 3.2.6. Metathesis 2470 4. Terpenes 2472 4.1. Pinene 2472 4.1.1. Isomerization: R-Pinene 2472 4.1.2. Epoxidation of R-Pinene 2475 4.1.3. Isomerization of R-Pinene Oxide 2477 4.1.4. Hydration of R-Pinene: R-Terpineol 2478 4.1.5. Dehydroisomerization 2479 4.2. Limonene 2480 4.2.1. Isomerization 2480 4.2.2. Epoxidation: Limonene Oxide 2480 4.2.3. Isomerization of Limonene Oxide 2481 4.2.4. Dehydroisomerization of Limonene and Terpenes To Produce Cymene 2481

Hydroxymethylfurfural, A Versatile Platform Chemical Made from Renewable Resources

Abstract: Renewable Resources Robert-Jan van Putten,†,‡ Jan C. van der Waal,† Ed de Jong,*,† Carolus B. Rasrendra,‡,⊥ Hero J. Heeres,*,‡ and Johannes G. de Vries* †Avantium Chemicals, Zekeringstraat 29, 1014 BV Amsterdam, the Netherlands ‡Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands DSM Innovative Synthesis BV, P.O. Box 18, 6160 MD Geleen, the Netherlands Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia

Conversion of biomass to selected chemical products

Abstract: This critical review provides a survey illustrated by recent references of different strategies to achieve a sustainable conversion of biomass to bioproducts. Because of the huge number of chemical products that can be potentially manufactured, a selection of starting materials and targeted chemicals has been done. Also, thermochemical conversion processes such as biomass pyrolysis or gasification as well as the synthesis of biofuels were not considered. The synthesis of chemicals by conversion of platform molecules obtained by depolymerisation and fermentation of biopolymers is presently the most widely envisioned approach. Successful catalytic conversion of these building blocks into intermediates, specialties and fine chemicals will be examined. However, the platform molecule value chain is in competition with well-optimised, cost-effective synthesis routes from fossil resources to produce chemicals that have already a market. The literature covering alternative value chains whereby biopolymers are converted in one or few steps to functional materials will be analysed. This approach which does not require the use of isolated, pure chemicals is well adapted to produce high tonnage products, such as paper additives, paints, resins, foams, surfactants, lubricants, and plasticisers. Another objective of the review was to examine critically the green character of conversion processes because using renewables as raw materials does not exempt from abiding by green chemistry principles (368 references).

Liquid-phase catalytic processing of biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons to fuels and chemicals.

Abstract: Biomass has the potential to serve as a sustainable source of energy and organic carbon for our industrialized society. The focus of this Review is to present an overview of chemical catalytic transformations of biomass-derived oxygenated feedstocks (primarily sugars and sugar-alcohols) in the liquid phase to value-added chemicals and fuels, with specific examples emphasizing the development of catalytic processes based on an understanding of the fundamental reaction chemistry. The key reactions involved in the processing of biomass are hydrolysis, dehydration, isomerization, aldol condensation, reforming, hydrogenation, and oxidation. Further, it is discussed how ideas based on fundamental chemical and catalytic concepts lead to strategies for the control of reaction pathways and process conditions to produce H(2)/CO(2) or H(2)/CO gas mixtures by aqueous-phase reforming, to produce furan compounds by selective dehydration of carbohydrates, and to produce liquid alkanes by the combination of aldol condensation and dehydration/hydrogenation processes.

Production of Liquid Alkanes by Aqueous-Phase Processing of Biomass-Derived Carbohydrates

Abstract: Liquid alkanes with the number of carbon atoms ranging from C7 to C15 were selectively produced from biomass-derived carbohydrates by acid-catalyzed dehydration, which was followed by aldol condensation over solid base catalysts to form large organic compounds. These molecules were then converted into alkanes by dehydration/hydrogenation over bifunctional catalysts that contained acid and metal sites in a four-phase reactor, in which the aqueous organic reactant becomes more hydrophobic and a hexadecane alkane stream removes hydrophobic species from the catalyst before they go on further to form coke. These liquid alkanes are of the appropriate molecular weight to be used as transportation fuel components, and they contain 90% of the energy of the carbohydrate and H2 feeds.