REACTIONS OF AQUEOUS GLUCOSE SOLUTIONS OVER SOLID-ACID Y-ZEOLITE CATALYST AT 110-160 DEGREES-C

Reactions of glucose with solid-acid Y-zeolite catalyst were studied to see if this heterogeneous system could produce oxygenated hydrocarbons by shape-selective, acid-catalyzed processes at fairly low temperatures. Experimentally, aqueous solutions of glucose (12 wt %) were reacted with HY-zeolite powder in a well-mixed batch reactor at temperatures ranging from 110 to 160-degrees-C and catalyst concentrations ranging from 2 to 20 g/150 mL. Unreacted glucose and oxygenated hydrocarbon products were measured by HPLC as a function of reaction time (0-24 h) and process conditions. Glucose conversions of 100% were obtained at 160-degrees-C after an 8-h reaction time. The apparent activation energy based on glucose conversion was 23.25 +/- 0.40 kcal/mol. Several acid-catalyzed reactions were identified, including isomerization of glucose to fructose, partial dehydration of glucose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), rehydration and cleavage of HMF to formic acid and 4-oxopentanoic acid, and carbonization. Polymers of HMF and seven minor additional products in the lower molecular weight organic acids/aldehydes/ketones elution range were also isolated by HPLC. High yields of organic acids relative to HMF and lowered selectivity of HMF in the bulk phase relative to the homogeneous acid-catalyzed reaction suggests the possibility of molecular sieving reactions within the Y-zeolite in addition to reactions on the outer surface of the Y-zeolite particle.