Sign In to Follow Application
View All Documents & Correspondence

Electrochemical Reactor For The Production Of Hydrofuroin From Furfural

Abstract: ABSTRACT ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTOR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROFUROIN FROM FURFURAL The present invention relates to an electrochemical reactor 100 for reduction of furfural to hydrofuroin through electrocatalytic hydrogenation. The cathode 10 is thermally treated graphite felt sheet on which furfural is primarily adsorbed. The anode is thermally treated graphite felt loaded with Co3O4. The alkali-based fluid forms anolyte solution at anode 7 whereas an alkali-based solution along with biomass derived furfural forms catholyte solution at cathode 10. The process for reduction of furfural to hydrofuroin is highly efficient, economical and can be scaled up at large scale. E Figure 1

Get Free WhatsApp Updates!
Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence

Patent Information

Application #
Filing Date
24 February 2023
Publication Number
14/2023
Publication Type
INA
Invention Field
CHEMICAL
Status
Email
Parent Application
Patent Number
Legal Status
Grant Date
2024-03-04
Renewal Date

Applicants

H2DC12 AVENUE PVT. LTD.
91 Yogendra Nagar, Borgaon Road Post Office, Katol Road, Nagpur-440013, Maharashtra, India

Inventors

1. Ram Ji Dixit
91 Yogendra Nagar, Borgaon Road Post Office, Katol Road, Nagpur-440013, Maharashtra, India
2. Biswajit Samir De
91 Yogendra Nagar, Borgaon Road Post Office, Katol Road, Nagpur-440013, Maharashtra, India
3. Aditya Singh
91 Yogendra Nagar, Borgaon Road Post Office, Katol Road, Nagpur-440013, Maharashtra, India
4. Abhas Anand
91 Yogendra Nagar, Borgaon Road Post Office, Katol Road, Nagpur-440013, Maharashtra, India
5. Suddhasatwa Basu
91 Yogendra Nagar, Borgaon Road Post Office, Katol Road, Nagpur-440013, Maharashtra, India

Specification

Description:FIELD OF INVENTION The present disclosure relates to an electrochemical reactor for reduction of furfural to a reaction product. More specifically, it relates to a method and system for reducing biomass-derived furfural to hydrofuroin through electrocatalytic hydrogenation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hydrofuroin (C10H10O4, IUPAC name: 1, 2-bis (furan-2-yl) ethane-1, 2-diol) is a chiral organic molecule with two furan rings and two -CHOH moieties. Hydrofuroin is used in the polymer industry and pharmaceutical industry. The hydrodeoxygenation of hydrofuroin produces a linear alkane C10H22 having an ideal carbon number used in the jet fuel (C8-C15). A high cost of hydrofuroin in the international market (>$800 per g) limits its commercial use. Conventionally, hydrofuroin is produced at a production rate of 0.2 mmol hr-1 through the hydrogenation of furil using methanol as solvent, hydrogen at 30 atm pressure, and Ru-based organic complex catalyst. The noble metal (Ru) based catalyst was used in the conventional process, which increases the manufacturing cost of hydrofuroin. The working pressure which is 30 atm requires additional handling apparatus to ensure safety. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation is an alternative technology, which occurs under ambient reaction conditions (25° C, 1 atm) without any external hydrogen source using non-noble earth-abundant catalysts. The electricity utilized in electrocatalytic hydrogenation could be obtained from renewable sources (solar, wind). Furfural (FF, a furan ring connected with a -CHO moiety), obtained from biomass was converted to hydrofuroin through electrocatalytic hydrogenation in the presence of a suitable electrocatalyst (carbon, Pb, Cu). Dixit et al. reported hydrofuroin formation through furfural electrocatalytic hydrogenation using Cu coated Ni foam cathode (2 cm × 2.5 cm × 1.8 mm) in an H-cell obtained 3.4 mmol hr-1 of hydrofuroin formation rate (RHF). Shang et al. reported hydrofuroin formation using 2D-carbon paper (1 cm × 5 cm) in a flow electrochemical cell concluded a 0.13 mmol hr-1 of RHF. In state-of-art technologies, the area and thickness of the cathode were 1–10 cm2 and 0.2–1.5 mm, respectively, which offered fewer surface sites for the adsorption of furfural, yielding a low RHF. In the recent furfural electrocatalytic hydrogenation technology, H-cell and flow electrochemical reactors could only accommodate low area and small thickness electrodes. Therefore, there was need to reduce the production cost of hydrofuroin by enhancing RHF, the development of scaled-up engineered electrochemical rectors was required, which could accommodate large electrolyte volumes and electrodes of large area and thickness. Thus, the inventors of the present invention have successfully addressed the drawbacks of the available literature and fabricated an electrochemical reactor which was facile and could be scaled up further to cater to the increasing commercial demand of hydrofuroin. OBJECTIVE OF INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electrochemical reactor for the reduction of biomass-derived furfural to hydrofuroin. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrochemical reactor for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural to hydrofuroin. Another object of the invention is to provide scaled-up electrochemical rectors which could accommodate large electrolyte volumes and electrodes of large area and thickness. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a process for the conversion of biomass-derived furfural into hydrofuroin through electrocatalytic hydrogenation which is economical and viable. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a design of scaled-up industrial scale electrochemical reactors for the conversion of biomass-derived compounds. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electrochemical reactor the conversion of biomass-derived furfural into hydrofuroin through electrocatalytic hydrogenation. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an electrochemical reactor comprising a container with a volume in the range of 700 ml to 900 ml, preferably 800 ml, a membrane which is positioned within the container, the membrane dividing the container into a catholyte chamber and an anolyte chamber; a cathode electrode which is positioned at least partially within the catholyte chamber, the cathode comprising a thermally treated graphite felt, characterized in that, a hydrogenation of furfural effects at the cathode. Further, the adsorption of furfural and hydrogen occurs at cathode; an anode which is positioned at least partially within the anolyte chamber, the anode comprising a thermally treated graphite material and at least one catalyst selected from cobalt oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide and nickel oxide combinations thereof; a voltage source in electrolytic communication with the cathode and anode. The membrane is cation exchange membrane characterized in that the membrane allows passage of Na+ ions from anode to cathode. The ratio of the surface area of the cathode to the total volumetric space of catholyte chamber is in the range of 1:3 to 1:5. The thickness of the cathode is at least in the range of 1 to 10 mm. The volume of the catholyte chamber and anolyte chamber are equal. The electrochemical reactor further comprises one sealing gasket being arranged between the flange of the opening portion of catholyte chamber and the membrane, the sealing gasket being arranged between the flange of the opening portion of anolyte chamber and the membrane, wherein the gasket comprises an opening groove characterized in that the opening groove is functioned to accommodate at least cathode or anode. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates a process for electrocatalytic hydrogenation of furfural to obtain hydrofuroin comprising the following steps: a) Providing a catholyte to a catholyte chamber of an electrochemical reactor, wherein the catholyte is at least partially in contact with a cathode, the cathode which is thermally treated polyacrylonitrile based graphite felt is characterized in that the furfural adsorbed on the cathode surface. The catholyte comprises furfural having concentration in the range of 10 mM to 100 mM and NaOH having concentration in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 M. b) Providing an anolyte to an anolyte chamber of an electrochemical reactor, wherein the anolyte is at least partially in contact with an anode which is thermally treated polyacrylonitrile graphite felt coated with Co3O4. The catholyte chamber is separated from anolyte chamber by a membrane. The anolyte is NaOH having concentration in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 M. c) Applying a bias voltage between cathode and anode to effect electrocatalytic hydrogenation of furfural to hydrofuroin in catholyte chamber. Bias voltage is in the range of 3-5 V, preferably 5 V for a time period in the range of 2 to 4 hr, preferably 3 hr for 100% conversion of furfural into hydrofuroin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described by way of embodiments of the invention. Figure 1: Illustrates exploded view of the electrochemical hydrogenation reactor. Figure 2: Illustrates schematic representation of the reactions at cathode and anode in electrochemical hydrogenation reactor. Figure 3: Illustrates (a) RHF and % SHF were determined using catholyte (x mM with 0.5 M NaOH, 10

Documents

Application Documents

# Name Date
1 202321012631-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
2 202321012631-Proof of Right [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
3 202321012631-POWER OF AUTHORITY [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
4 202321012631-FORM FOR STARTUP [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
5 202321012631-FORM FOR SMALL ENTITY(FORM-28) [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
6 202321012631-FORM 1 [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
7 202321012631-EVIDENCE FOR REGISTRATION UNDER SSI(FORM-28) [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
8 202321012631-EVIDENCE FOR REGISTRATION UNDER SSI [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
9 202321012631-DRAWINGS [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
10 202321012631-DECLARATION OF INVENTORSHIP (FORM 5) [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
11 202321012631-COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [24-02-2023(online)].pdf 2023-02-24
12 202321012631-FORM-9 [21-03-2023(online)].pdf 2023-03-21
13 202321012631-STARTUP [24-03-2023(online)].pdf 2023-03-24
14 202321012631-FORM28 [24-03-2023(online)].pdf 2023-03-24
15 202321012631-FORM 18A [24-03-2023(online)].pdf 2023-03-24
16 Abstract.jpg 2023-04-03
17 202321012631-FER.pdf 2023-04-21
18 202321012631-FORM 4(iii) [20-10-2023(online)].pdf 2023-10-20
19 202321012631-OTHERS [18-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-18
20 202321012631-FORM 3 [18-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-18
21 202321012631-FER_SER_REPLY [18-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-18
22 202321012631-CORRESPONDENCE [18-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-18
23 202321012631-CLAIMS [18-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-18
24 202321012631-PatentCertificate04-03-2024.pdf 2024-03-04
25 202321012631-IntimationOfGrant04-03-2024.pdf 2024-03-04

Search Strategy

1 SearchreportE_20-04-2023.pdf
2 searchAE_10-02-2024.pdf
3 search1AE_10-02-2024.pdf

ERegister / Renewals