(584ct) Reaction Kinetics Analysis of Furfural Production from Xylose Dehydration and Analysis of Reactor Material Effects on Kinetic Parameters

The conversion of xylose to furfural using green solvents is a key step toward sustainable biomass valorization. In this work, furfural production was investigated in a γ-valerolactone (GVL)/water monophasic solvent system using hydrochloric acid as a homogeneous catalyst. While this system provides a promising route for high-yield furfural synthesis, our findings demonstrate that the material of the reactor plays a critical role in determining reaction performance due to metal ion leaching.

Controlled batch reactions were conducted using glass reactors with added powders of industrial alloys—Hastelloy, Inconel, and stainless steel—to simulate corrosion and investigate the catalytic role of leached metal ions. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis confirmed significant ion release, particularly Fe, Cr, Ni, and Mo, depending on alloy type. These metal ions were found to influence key steps in the reaction mechanism, likely by catalyzing the isomerization of xylose to xylulose and lyxose, and affecting furfural degradation pathways.

A kinetic model was developed to quantify the influence of each alloy on the rate constants of xylose conversion and furfural formation and degradation. The presence of alloy-derived ions significantly altered apparent activation energies and furfural yields. This study highlights the overlooked yet critical influence of reactor material on acid-catalyzed biomass conversion systems and offers kinetic insight essential for the optimization of scalable furfural production processes.