Development of a catalytic system for the conversion of γ-butyrolactone to 1,4-butanediol using supercritical CO2
biorefinery, 1,4-butanediol, γ-butyrolactone, catalytic hydrogenations, supercritical CO2.
1,4-Butanediol is a solvent of various applications in the industrial environment. From it, materials such as polymers, polyesters and polyurethanes can be obtained. These substances are essential in the manufacture of films, fibers, adhesives and plastics. Materials derived from 1,4-butanediol, especially plastics, also have biodegradable properties. These characteristics, therefore, give the chemical product great importance and interest in research and industry. Its production, however, is based on raw materials of fossil origin, which raises questions about the sustainability of the process. In this context, it is known that 1,4-butanediol is obtainable from catalytic hydrogenations of γ-butyrolactone and, due to the complexity of the process, further studies on the involved reaction parameters are necessary. Thus, the objective of this work is to analyze the hydrogenation of γ-butyrolactone from bimetallic nano-structured catalysts based on rhenium, palladium, ruthenium and iridium, supported on silica and synthesized by the sol-gel method. In addition, this reaction will rely on the use of supercritical CO2 as a reaction medium, which adheres to the work green and sustainable characteristics. In this way, operational parameters that influence the reaction yield as temperature, total pressure, active metal content in the catalyst will be analyzed. The CO2 effect will be studied by comparing two reactional systems that operate under the same conditions, but with and without the use of the supercritical fluid. A kinetic model for the catalytic hydrogenation reaction of γ-butyrolactone in 1,4-butanediol will also be proposed. In parallel, solubility studies will be performed between the reaction components CO2 + H2O + 1,4-butanediol + γ-butyrolactone, in order to analyze the interactions between these compounds.