Controlled Separation and Conversion Processes for Wood Hemicelluloses
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | INNVENTIA AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 1 131 000 |
| Project duration | February 2014 - November 2016 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
The aim of the COSEPA project is to produce hemicellulose from birch. Birch chips have been undergone autohydrolysis to produce hemicellulose. Using ultra filtration a low and a high molecular fraction have been produced. The high molecular fraction was used to produce oxygen barriers. Maleic acid and 2,3-butanediol have been produced from the low molecular fraction. A techno-economical analysis for these processes have been performed.
Expected results and effects
Different process conditions have been evaluated for autohydrolysis of birch chips and ultrafiltration of the autohydrolysate in order to optimise the yield of high molecular hemicellulose in the hydrolysis and the flux in the ultrafiltration. The impact of temperature, residence time and choice of membrane on the combined process have been studied. Oxygen barrier films have been produced from the high molecular fraction and the films have been evaluated and compared with other barrier films.
Planned approach and implementation
The project is a cooperation between Innventia, Xylophane, Lappeenranta Technical University (LUT), UPM, Thünen Institute (TI) and Napier University. Innventia have together with LUT produce autohydrolysate from birch chips. The hydrolysate havs been separated with ultrafiltration to high and low molecular fractions at different process conditions. Oxygen barrier have been produced by Xylophane and TI used the low molecular fraction for production of bulk chemicals.