Process design and techno-economic analysis of gas and aqueous phase maleic anhydride production from biomass-derived furfural

Maleic anhydride is used worldwide for a wide range of applications: from the manufacture of resins to lubricant additives or agricultural chemicals. The current production processes use benzene or butane as raw materials. This work shows the conceptual design of two novel processes using furfural as raw material: (i) aqueous phase oxidation with H2O2 and (ii) gas phase oxidation with O2. The aqueous process uses a cheaper furfural feedstock,...