Regeneration of dimethyl carbonate and purification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural used in a biphasic dehydration process through activated carbon adsorption and evaporation

The production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an important process for a future sustainable plastic industry. Hence many processes were developed to produce HMF, however, HMF recovery and solvent recyclability are limiting steps for the process development. Therefore, In this study, granulated activated carbon (GAC) was investigated as a purification step of HMF produced from fructose in a biphasic dimethyl carbonate (DMC): water (3:1) process, where carbon type, dose, and residence time were assessed. The optimal process conditions were then used to recover HMF through evaporation, where DMC is also regenerated. The regenerated DMC was evaluated for reusability in fructose dehydration reaction and HMF recovery from the aqueous phase. A simulation of how the adsorption process would function as a continuously fed packed column was also investigated. The results showed that the optimal carbon type was Organosorb 20-AA, with a dose of 10 g to 50 mL HMF solution at a residence time of 24 h, where around 80 % of the impurities were removed. The regenerated DMC shows similar results as a new commercial DMC in the fructose dehydration reaction and the extraction of HMF from the aqueous phase. The GAC adsorption could increase the purity of recovered HMF from 59 % to 79 %. The simulation showed that continuous adsorption in a packed bed column is a potentially viable option for the purification of HMF, although many assumptions were made in the model formulation that warrant further investigation. Overall, this downstream process successfully regenerated the DMC and increased the purity of recovered HMF. • Downstream processing and recovery of HMF in an organic solvent. • Purification of HMF through adsorption with GAC and process optimization. • Solvent (DMC) regeneration and recyclability for potential reuse applications. • Recovery of HMF and recyclability of DMC for both upstream and downstream processes. • A potential future green process technology for the production of HMF.