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Commodity chemicals

About: Commodity chemicals is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 557 publications have been published within this topic receiving 31770 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
16 May 2014-Science
TL;DR: Recent developments in genetic engineering, enhanced extraction methods, and a deeper understanding of the structure of lignin are yielding promising opportunities for efficient conversion of this renewable resource to carbon fibers, polymers, commodity chemicals, and fuels.
Abstract: Background Lignin, nature’s dominant aromatic polymer, is found in most terrestrial plants in the approximate range of 15 to 40% dry weight and provides structural integrity. Traditionally, most large-scale industrial processes that use plant polysaccharides have burned lignin to generate the power needed to productively transform biomass. The advent of biorefineries that convert cellulosic biomass into liquid transportation fuels will generate substantially more lignin than necessary to power the operation, and therefore efforts are underway to transform it to value-added products. Production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass requires separation of large quantities of the aromatic polymer lignin. In planta genetic engineering, enhanced extraction methods, and a deeper understanding of the structure of lignin are yielding promising opportunities for efficient conversion of this renewable resource to carbon fibers, polymers, commodity chemicals, and fuels. [Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy] Advances Bioengineering to modify lignin structure and/or incorporate atypical components has shown promise toward facilitating recovery and chemical transformation of lignin under biorefinery conditions. The flexibility in lignin monomer composition has proven useful for enhancing extraction efficiency. Both the mining of genetic variants in native populations of bioenergy crops and direct genetic manipulation of biosynthesis pathways have produced lignin feedstocks with unique properties for coproduct development. Advances in analytical chemistry and computational modeling detail the structure of the modified lignin and direct bioengineering strategies for targeted properties. Refinement of biomass pretreatment technologies has further facilitated lignin recovery and enables catalytic modifications for desired chemical and physical properties. Outlook Potential high-value products from isolated lignin include low-cost carbon fiber, engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers, polymeric foams and membranes, and a variety of fuels and chemicals all currently sourced from petroleum. These lignin coproducts must be low cost and perform as well as petroleum-derived counterparts. Each product stream has its own distinct challenges. Development of renewable lignin-based polymers requires improved processing technologies coupled to tailored bioenergy crops incorporating lignin with the desired chemical and physical properties. For fuels and chemicals, multiple strategies have emerged for lignin depolymerization and upgrading, including thermochemical treatments and homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The multifunctional nature of lignin has historically yielded multiple product streams, which require extensive separation and purification procedures, but engineering plant feedstocks for greater structural homogeneity and tailored functionality reduces this challenge.

2,958 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis on the different reaction pathways for catalytic conversion of glycerol into commodity chemicals, including selective oxidation, selective hydrogenolysis, selective dehydration, pyrolysis and gasification, steam reforming, thermal reduction into syngas, selective transesterification, selective etherification, oligomerization and polymerization, and conversion of Glycerol carbonate.
Abstract: New opportunities for the conversion of glycerol into value-added chemicals have emerged in recent years as a result of glycerol's unique structure, properties, bioavailability, and renewability. Glycerol is currently produced in large amounts during the transesterification of fatty acids into biodiesel and as such represents a useful by-product. This paper provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis on the different reaction pathways for catalytic conversion of glycerol into commodity chemicals, including selective oxidation, selective hydrogenolysis, selective dehydration, pyrolysis and gasification, steam reforming, thermal reduction into syngas, selective transesterification, selective etherification, oligomerization and polymerization, and conversion of glycerol into glycerol carbonate.

1,455 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, various strategies for the valorisation of waste biomass to platform chemicals, and the underlying developments in chemical and biological catalysis which make this possible, are critically reviewed, and three possible routes for producing a bio-based equivalent of the large volume polymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are delineated.

1,246 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the most relevant chemical routes for converting furfural to chemicals, bio-fuels, and additives is presented in this article, focusing not only on industrially produced chemicals derived from fur, but also on other not yet commercialised products that have a high potential for commercialisation as commodities.
Abstract: The production of future transportation fuels and chemicals requires the deployment of new catalytic processes that transform biomass into valuable products under competitive conditions. Furfural has been identified as one of the most promising chemical platforms directly derived from biomass. With an annual production close to 300 kTon, furfural is currently a commodity chemical, and the technology for its production is largely established. The aim of this review is to discuss the most relevant chemical routes for converting furfural to chemicals, biofuels, and additives. This review focuses not only on industrially produced chemicals derived from furfural, but also on other not yet commercialised products that have a high potential for commercialisation as commodities. Other chemicals that are currently produced from oil but can also be derived from furfural are also reviewed. The chemical and engineering aspects such as the reaction conditions and mechanisms, as well as the main achievements and the challenges still to come in the pursuit of advancing the furfural-based industry, are highlighted.

1,079 citations

Book
06 Jul 1998
TL;DR: In this article, photosynthesis of biomass and its conversion-related properties are discussed, including thermal conversion, Pyrolysis and Liquefaction, gasification, and combustion.
Abstract: Preface. Energy Consumption, Reserves, Depletion, Environmental Issues. Biomass as an Energy Resource: Concept and Markets. Photosynthesis of Biomass and Its Conversion-Related Properties. Virgin Biomass Production. Waste Biomass Abundance, Energy Potential, and Availability. Physical Conversion Processes. Thermal Coversion: Combustion. Thermal Conversion: Pyrolysis and Liquefaction. Thermal Converstion: Gasification. Natural Biochemical Liquefaction. Synthetic Oxygenated Liquid Fuels. Microbial Conversion: Gasification. Organic Commodity Chemicals from Biomass. Integrated Biomass Production Conversion Systems and Net Energy Production. Epilogue. Appendices. Subject Index.

1,052 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202342
202280
202144
202052
201938
201834