PRODUCTION OF FURFURAL FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE

ABSTRACT

This study has primarily concentrated on the production of furfural from sugarcane bagasse and the use of Response Surface Methodology to optimize the process variables (RSM). Bagasse was used as the raw material, and its biochemical components were evaluated. Bagasse was hydrolyzed with diluted sulfuric acid to produce furfural. As a pentosan conversion enhancer, NaCl was utilized, and the dehydration of pentoses to furfural took place at a relatively low temperature. To explore and identify the ideal parameters for furfural synthesis, the response surface methodology and Central Composite experimental design were used. The primary study parameters have been determined to be reaction temperature (100-150 °C), acid concentration (1-10 v/v%), solid to liquid ratio (5-15 g/ml), and time (30-120 min). An experimental response that has been looked at is furfural yield. A total of 30 experiments were done. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the key synthesis parameters that influence furfural yield were examined. The parameter with the greatest impact on the response was discovered to be the reaction temperature. The second order polynomial quadratic model and the experimental data were well fit by the regression analysis, with an R2 coefficient of 0.9762 and a model F-value of 43.98. The model was determined to be significant because the Predicted R2 of 0.9141 and the Adjusted R2 of 0.9540 were quite similar. The optimal conditions were developed after studying the effects of the individual and combined parameters on the yield of furfural. The ideal conditions were found to be 125 °C, 5.5 v/v% acid concentration, 15 g/ml solid to liquid ratio, and a reaction time of 75 min. The validation experiment produced an optimal furfural yield of 26.8% with a 1.51% deviation from the optimum value determined by the design expert software. Overall, the study's findings demonstrated the potential of sugarcane bagasse as an alternative method of producing furfural.