Simulation-based Assessment of 2,5 Furandicarboxylic Acid Production from Oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Abstract

2,5 Furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a bio-based chemical that has the potential to replace petroleum-based chemicals. The production and use of FDCA have been shown to have less environmental impact compared to traditional petrochemicals. FDCA can be produced from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural which is synthesized by biomass. In FDCA production, the main reaction is the oxidation of HMF in an aqueous acetic solution. The study on the combined process of FDCA production and separation is important in the development of the FDCA production process on a commercial scale. This work aims to study the combined process and the performance assessment of FDCA production from the oxidation of HMF consisting of FDCA synthesis, FDCA separation, and solvent recovery. The Aspen Plus software was used for the simulation of the FDCA production process. Moreover, the performances of the FDCA production process using air and pure oxygen are compared. The simulation results indicated that the solvent recovery in the FDCA production process can increase the amount of FDCA product and decrease the amount of fresh water and acetic acid in the feed by 96.45% and 97.24%, compared to the system without solvent recovery. When considering the energy consumption of the process, the energy consumption of the air compressor is the highest at 63.52% of the total energy consumption. The use of a multi-stage compressor and pure oxygen as an oxidant in the FDCA production process can reduce the energy consumption of the process.