Periodic Reporting for period 3 - EHLCATHOL (Chemical transformation of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) with catalytic solvolysis to fuel commodities under mild conditions)
Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2024-10-31
In the 4 years EHLCATHOL project, intensive and efficient collaborative research has been done within the consortium. We achieved all the goals specified in the Grant Agreement; obtained bio gasoline, bio jet-fuel samples and a promising bio-marine fuel blend with high efficiency; established knowledge on the principles of the interaction of EHL and fuel compatible solvents; and were enabled to illustrate the superiority of catalytic solvolysis in lignin valorization. We also contributed greatly to the scientific community with 28 high-quality articles, 2 special issues of an international journal and organization and presentations of/on conferences, as well as 3 webinars.
The possibility of lowering the reaction temperature was explored, providing large datasets on the solubility and dissolution of EHL of different sources and their solvolysis in different solvents. Reactor and molecular level kinetic models of lignin dissolution and solvolysis reaction were established. With the novel optimized mixed solvent, an EHL to solvent ratio of 1:10 was possible, which is a 10-fold advance with respect to the state of the art. The new solvent combination also facilitates downstream upgrading, making the overall process faster by spontaneous separation of the product into three distinct phases. Bio-gasoline, bio-jet-fuel and bio-marine fuel blend samples were produced. Based one of the optimized results, a techno-economic analysis shows promising simulation results for the EHL catalytic solvolysis route to produce fuel commodities on a commercial scale.