Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Humins in Mixtures of Formic Acid/2-Propanol with Supported Ruthenium Catalysts

The catalytic hydrotreatment of humins, which are the solid byproducts from the conversion of C-6 sugars (glucose, fructose) into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), by using supported ruthenium catalysts has been investigated. Reactions were carried out in a batch setup at elevated temperatures (400 degrees C) by using a hydrogen donor (formic acid (FA) in isopropanol (IPA) or hydrogen gas), with humins obtained from D-glucose. Humin conversions of up to 69% were achieved with Ru/C and FA, whereas the performance for Ru on alumina was slightly poorer (59% humin conversion). Humin oils were characterized by using a range of analytical techniques (GC, GC-MS, GCxGC, gel permeation chromatography) and were shown to consist of monomers, mainly alkyl phenolics (>45% based on compounds detectable by GC) and higher oligomers. A reaction network for the reaction is proposed based on structural proposals for humins and the main reaction products.