Development of a continuous system for conversion of γ-butyrolactone into high added value products
building blocks molecules, γ-butyrolactone, 1,4-butanediol, tetrahydrofuran, continuous flux, supercritical CO2
Faced with a worldwide trend of valuing sustainable processes, biomass molecules, or building blocks molecules have been gaining ground in the development of technologies for the production of high added value chemicals. Within them, the production of γ-butyrolactone, 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran stands out due to its comprehensive industrial applicability. Thus, this project aims to study the catalytic hydrogenation reaction of γ-butyrolactone with the use of nano-structured bimetallic catalysts based on rhenium and palladium. In order to optimize the process, the reactions will be analyzed in continuous system and the parameters temperature, pressure and gas flow will be evaluated. Also in the continuous process, the effect of water, used as solvent and the effects of supercritical CO2 as a reaction medium, will be evaluated, and these conditions are little studied in the literature for hydrogenation reactions of γ-butyrolactone. In parallel, studies of the solubility of binary and ternary systems involved in the reactions, too, will be the focus of the work.