Efficient Conversion of Xylan to Furfural Using Niobium-Modified SBA-15 Catalyst in Biphasic Solvents: Experiments and Simulations

Furfural, a promising biobased platform chemical, can be derived from xylan through an acid-catalyzed dehydration process. However, the yield of furfural in the aqueous phase is often limited by side reactions (furfural degradation). Employing a biphasic solvent system for in situ furfural extraction presents a strategy to mitigate furfural degradation as furfural is more stable in some organic phases, reducing the polymerization with reaction intermediates in the aqueous phase. In this study, a novel energy-efficient process was developed for the enhanced production of furfural from corncob xylan in a biphasic solvent system. A series of niobium-modified SBA-15 solid acid catalysts for furfural production were synthesized and characterized to determine the physical properties, structure, and crystallinity. The toluene/H2O biphasic system was selected to intensify the furfural production and reduce subsequent separation costs. The experimental parameters including niobium doping of catalyst, reaction time, reaction temperature, catalyst input, and xylan input were optimized to obtain high furfural yield. The process model for production and purification of furfural was established based on experimental data, and the results demonstrated that the furfural purification section in the proposed process reduced cold energy consumption by 64.08% and heat energy consumption by 70.29% compared to the conventional process.