Methods for the selective depolymerization of lignin to fractions of platform chemicals

Abstract

A process for the selective depolymerization of lignin to fractions of platform chemicals, namely C1-, C2 fraction: formic and acetic acid, C3-, C4 fraction: (di)carboxylic acids, and a fraction comprising at least one vanillin derivative selected from the group consisting of vanillin, methyl vanillate, and acetovanillone, wherein lignin, alcohol or an alcohol / water mixture, and a polyoxometalate catalyst are introduced into a reactor, characterized in that the polyoxometalate catalyst has the general formula PMoxVyMnzO40 with 6 <x≤10; 1≤y≤4; 1≤z≤4;x+y+z =12, wherein the lignin, the alcohol or the alcohol / water mixture and the polyoxometalate catalyst are mixed at a temperature of at least 120 °C and wherein oxygen is continuously supplied at an oxygen partial pressure between 10 bar and 100 bar, wherein the formation of the fractions can be controlled by adjusting the parameters time, pH value, and temperature, as well as by varying the ratio of vanadium to manganese in the polyoxometalate catalyst.

Claims

Registration country: DERegistration number: 112016003226 Registration date: July 12, 2016 Publication date: April 19, 2018 Main class: C10G 1 / 00(2006.01,A) Inventor: Albert, Jakob, 91054, Erlangen, DE Inventor: Besold, Günter, Dr., 90768, Fürth, DE Applicant: Besold, Günter, Dr., 90768, Fürth, DE [DE]Process for the selective depolymerization of lignin to different fractions of platform chemicals