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Glucaric acid biorefineries

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Publication date: 14/12/2015 Last update: 24/05/2017 Description 1,2,3,4 D-Glucaric acid, also called saccharic acid, is a chemical compound with formula C 6 H 10 O 8 and member of a large family of molecules known as oxidized sugars. It is a naturally occurring aldaric acid, typically found in small amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables. It is a highly functionalized compound with four chiral carbons and a plethora of reaction pathways. Its commercial potential was unveiled in the report “Top Value Added Chemicals from Biomass” from the Department of Energy of USA which described its use as a building block for a number of polymers, including new nylons and hyperbranched polyesters. Process technologies 1,3,4,5,6,7,8 The synthetic preparation of D-glucaric acid dates back to a report of Sohst and Tollens (1888) who carried out the nitric acid oxidation of D-glucose to D-glucaric acid. Current methods for its production are based on this process and in...
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UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery

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Nombre / Name UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery Empresa / Company UPM Biofuels  ( www.upmbiofuels.com ) Localización / Location Lappeenranta (Finland) Categoría / Category Comercial / Commercial Estado / Status Operación / Running Plataforma / Platform Aceites /  Oil Materia prima / Feedstock Tall oil Producto / Product Biodiésel  / Biodiesel Puesta en marcha / Start-Up Enero 2015  / January 2015 Figure 1. UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery (extracted from UPM Biofuels webpage) La primera biorrefinería del mundo que produce biodiesel a partir de residuos forestales inició su funcionamiento comercial en enero de 2015. La instalación está localizada en el mismo enclave que la planta papelera Kaukas de UPM en las orillas del lago Saimaa en Lappeenranta al sudeste de Finlandia. La capacidad de la planta es de 100.000 de toneladas al año y emplea a un...
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Biobased 1,4-butanediol (BDO)

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Versión en Español Type of post: Fact sheet. Series: Biobased chemicals – Alcohols. Publication date: 01/06/2021. Last update: 11/06/2021. Description - Diol with 4 carbon atoms. - It is a colourless, viscous liquid. Applications - In the presence of phosphoric acid and high temperature, it dehydrates to the tetrahydrofuran (THF), which is used in various industrial applications such as a solvent in pharmaceuticals. Half of the BDO consumption is used for production of THF. - The second largest market for BDO is the synthesis of γ-butyrolactone (GBL). GBL is used in industrial cleaning products and in the production of Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and 2-pyrrolidone. - Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is produced by polymerising terephthalic acid and BDO. PBT is an engineering plastic is used in a wide range of applications, mainly in electrical and automotive component. Conventional petrochemical routes (1) - Reppe process (acetylene): 42% of global capacity. - Davy Process (maleic anhyd...
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LanzaTech and Shougang Group announce the start-up of the world’s first commercial waste gas to ethanol plant

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Type of post: FLASH NEWS. LanzaTech and its joint venture partner Shougang Group (a Chinese iron and steel producer) have just announced the successful start-up of the world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol (see press release , 8/6/2018). The plant, located at the Jingtang Steel Mill in Caofeidian (Hebei Province, China) began operations on May 3 and it has a nominal capacity of 46,000 tons of ethanol per year. This ethanol’s performance in fuel blending applications is indistinguishable from sugar-derived ethanol. Figure 1. Waste gas to ethanol plant of Lanzatech at the Jingtang Steel Mill (extracted from the press release)
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Slate Refining and Starwood Energy to repurpose refinery into a renewable fuels production facility

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Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Starwood Energy Group Global, Inc. (“Starwood Energy”, a private investment firm that specializes in energy infrastructure investments) and Slate Refining, LLC (“Slate”, an energy production and wholesale distribution and logistics company) have announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement to reconfigure Slate’s refinery located in Douglas (Wyoming, USA) into a state-of-the-art renewable fuels production facility. Press release: “ Starwood Energy and Slate Refining Partner to Develop, Construct and Operate Renewable Fuels Facility ”, 17/08/2021. Upon completion of the project, the facility is expected to produce over 100 MGal annually of renewable fuels, such as renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and arctic diesel. Starwood Energy’s extensive experience developing, owning, operating and financing renewables and energy transition projects, coupled with Slate’s operational and refining expertise, brings a...
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