Dead Leaves: Renewable Source of Furfural and Its Derivatives
Ibrahim H*
National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Nigeria
Submission: May 8, 2017; Published: June 05, 2017
*Correspondence author: Ibrahim H, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Zaria, Nigeria, Email: ibrahimhauna@gmail.com
How to cite this article: Ibrahim H. Dead Leaves: Renewable Source of Furfural and Its Derivatives. Recent Adv Petrochem Sci. 2017; 1(4): 555566. DOI:10.19080/RAPSCI.2017.01.555566
Introduction
Furfural is a colour less, sweet smelling, heterocyclic liquid aldehyde, with a ring structure at right [1]. Furfural has the following names: 2-Formylfuran; 2-Furanaldehyde; 2-Furancarbonal; Cyclic aldehyde; 2-Furaldehyde; 2-Furaldehido; 2-Furaldehyde; alpha-Furole; Artificial ant oil; Fural; Furaldehyde; Furale to mention but few. According to Ibrahim et al. [1], Furfural was first isolated by Johann Dobereiner in 1821 during the synthesis of formic acid. And in 1840 John Stenhouse produced it from corns, oats, bran and sawdust with dilute sulphuric acid and established its empirical formula (C5H4O2).The major producers of furfural are China, South Africa and Dominican Republic.
Furfural and its derivatives are very useful chemicals as fuels, petrochemicals, plastic, solvents and agrochemicals. Furfural has the unique property to dissolve aromatics and other unsaturated olefins hence, major oil companies use furfural as selective solvent in the refining of lubricating oils [2]. Aromatics, polar components, mercaptans are removed from petroleum by means of furfural extraction. Furfural can also be used as decolorizing agent to refine crude wood rosin. It was used to separate C4 and C5 hydrocarbons from butadiene (Isoprene) during the Second World War. It is used as a fungicide and weed killer and in the production of tetrahydrofuran, an important industrial solvent [3].
Methyl furfural is hot in the markets, 98% concentration of this compound is selling at the rate of 23.50 euro for only 25.0g [2]. It is used as food and flavor ingridients. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is known to be produced from hexose and cellulose [2]. It is used for production of polyurethane and nylon 6,6 monomers. It has been reported by Rosatella et al. [4] that HMF can be used for the production of important molecules such aslevulinic acid, 2, 5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDA), 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), dihydroxymethyl furanand 5-hydroxy-4-keto-2-pentenoic acid. It is used for the production of plastics and industrial and household chemicals and transport fuel [3]. 2-furan methanol is used in Furan polymers, in making Sealants and Cements, Urea-formadehyde and Phenolic Resins, as a Solvent, Foundry cores, Flavorings.
These useful compounds can be produced from dead leaves by acid hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of Earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) and Gmelinaarborea leaves by 3% sulphuric acid have the compositions of furfural and its derivatives presented in Table 1. Some other useful industrial chemical are also produced.
Conclusion
Conversion of these dead leaves into useful chemicals like furfural rather than burning is a waste conversion to wealth that would generate income to rural dwellers, provide employment opportunity, sustainable raw materials for chemical industries and transportation fuels. This process of turning waste into wealth is a green chemistry and engineering and will surely reduce environmental hazards.
References
- Ibrahim H, Nana KO, Ayilara S, Adegbola O, Nwakuba DC, et al. (2015) Potential of Earleaf Acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) Leaves for Industrial Raw Materials. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) 1(4): 2395-3470.
- Ibrahim H, Ayilara S, Nwanya KO, Zanna AS, Adegbola OB, et al. (2017) Exploring Gmelina arborea Leaves for Biofuels and Petrochemical and Pharmaceutical Feed stocks. Chemical Science International Journal 18(2): 1-7.
- Jessica Ebert (Retrieved 16/01/2017). Furfural: Future Feedstock for Fuels and Chemicals, Biomass Magazine.
- Rosatella AA, Simeonov SP, Fradeand MR, Afonso CAM (2011) 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as a building block platform: Biological properties, synthesis and synthetic applications. Green Chem 13(4): 754-793.