Abstract: The invention provides a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, by contacting said starting material with hydrogen in a reactor in the presence of a solvent and a catalyst system with catalytic hydrogenation abilities, wherein the process comprises the steps of: i) introducing a first portion of the starting material into the reactor such that the initial concentration of the saccharide in the solvent in the reactor is no more than 2 wt %; ii) allowing at least 90 wt % of the saccharide in the first portion of the starting material to react; iii) subsequently adding further portions of starting material to the reactor over time; and removing reaction product from the reactor.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the catalytic conversion of a saccharide-containing feedstock in a reactor, wherein saccharide-containing feedstock is provided to the reactor as a feed stream through a feed pipe and is contacted with a catalyst system in the reactor and a reaction product is continuously removed from the reactor and wherein the saccharide-containing feedstock is provided through the feed pipe as a pulsed flow and is alternated with a second feed stream comprising a solvent being provided through the same feed pipe.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for removing an alkanol impurity from a stream containing an organic carbonate and the alkanol impurity, comprising contacting the stream with a catalyst to effect reaction of the alkanol impurity with the organic carbonate.

Abstract: A xylan-containing feed is contacted, in the first reactor essentially operated at plug flow, with an aqueous solution of an acid at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 140° C. to equal to or less than 210° C. to produce an intermediate product. Then, the intermediate product is contacted, in the second reactor which comprises a continuously stirred tank reactor, with an aqueous solution of an acid at a temperature in the range from more than 130° C. to equal to or less than 200° C. to produce a final product.

Abstract: A method for producing furfural from lignocellulosic biomass material is provided, comprising (a) contacting the lignocellulosic biomass material with a mixture comprising water and an organic acid at a temperature of at least 100° C. and a pressure of at most 10 bar (absolute) to obtain a first liquid stream comprising hydrolyzed hemicellulose and a second stream comprising lignin and cellulose; (b) maintaining the first liquid stream comprising hydrolyzed hemicellulose at a temperature of at least 130° C. to obtain a second liquid stream comprising furfural; and (c) separating the furfural obtained in step b) from the second liquid stream.

Abstract: Alcohols useful as fuel compositions are produced from biomass by: contacting the biomass with a cooking liquor containing 1 to 20 wt %, based on the cooking liquor, of sodium hydroxide, and under conditions effective to provide a pulp stream containing pulp having a lignin content of 5% to 20% by weight, based on the pulp washing the pulp stream; hydrolyzing the washed pulp stream with an enzyme solution; fermenting the hydrolyzate in the presence of a microorganism, one alcohol having 2 to 18 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for removing an alkanol impurity from a stream containing an organic carbonate and the alkanol impurity, comprising contacting the stream with a catalyst to effect reaction of the alkanol impurity with the organic carbonate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for removing an alkanol impurity from a stream containing an organic carbonate and the alkanol impurity, comprising contacting the stream with a catalyst to effect reaction of the alkanol impurity with the organic carbonate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of an alkylene carbonate by the reaction of an alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of a phosphonium catalyst in which process (a) the alkylene oxide, carbon dioxide and phosphonium catalyst are continuously introduced into a reaction zone from which a product stream containing alkylene carbonate and phosphonium catalyst is withdrawn; (b) alkylene carbonate and a stream containing phosphoniura catalyst are separated from the product stream; (c) the alkylene carbonate, separated in step (b), is recovered as product; and (d) the stream containing phosphoniura catalyst, separated in step (b), is recycled to the reaction zone, in which process a treatment of alkylene carbonate and/or catalyst with a sorption agent comprising carbon is carried out.

Abstract: A process for pretreating a lignocellulosic material is provided. The process comprises mixing the lignocellulosic material and an alkaline aqueous solution, in a solid to liquid weight ratio of equal to or more than 25:75 to equal to or less than 60:40, in a mixer to produce an aqueous slurry and heat-treating the aqueous slurry at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 50° C. to equal to or less than 200° C. to produce a heat-treated aqueous slurry comprising a pretreated lignocellulosic material. The lignocellulosic material has a lignin content in the range from equal to or more than 10 wt % to equal to or less than 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the lignocellulosic material. The alkaline aqueous solution has a pH of equal to or more than 9.0.

Abstract: In the pretreatment, the biomass is contacted with a solution containing at least one ?-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby at least partially hydrolyzing the biomass to produce a pretreated stream containing a solution that contains at least a portion of hemicelluloses and a residual biomass that contains celluloses and lignin; separating at least a portion of the solution from the residual biomass providing an solution stream and a pretreated biomass stream; then contacting the pretreated biomass stream with a cooking liquor containing at least one alkali selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, and mixtures thereof and water. A process that allows for higher recovery of carbohydrates and thereby increased yields is provided. Alcohols useful as fuel compositions are also produced from biomass by pretreating the biomass prior to hydrolysis and fermentation.

Abstract: Alcohols useful as fuel compositions are produced from biomass by pretreating the biomass prior to hydrolysis and fermentation. In the pretreatment, the biomass is contacted with an aqueous solution containing a dilute acid with concentration of up to 10 wt % producing a predigested stream containing an aqueous liquor that contains at least a portion of hemicelluloses and a residual biomass that contains celluloses and lignin; separating at least a portion of the aqueous liquor from the residual biomass providing an aqueous liquor stream and a pre-digested biomass stream; then contacting the pre-digested biomass stream with a cooking liquor containing at least one alkali selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, and mixtures thereof and water. A process that allows for higher recovery of carbohydrates and thereby increased yields is provided.

Abstract: Alcohols useful as fuel compositions are produced from biomass by pretreating the biomass prior to hydrolysis and fermentation. In the pretreatment, the biomass is contacted with an aqueous solution containing a dilute acid with concentration of up to 10 wt % producing a predigested stream containing an aqueous liquor that contains at least a portion of hemicelluloses and a residual biomass that contains celluloses and lignin; separating at least a portion of the aqueous liquor from the residual biomass providing an aqueous liquor stream and a pre-digested biomass stream; then contacting the pre-digested biomass stream with a cooking liquor containing at least one alkali selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, and mixtures thereof and water. A process that allows for higher recovery of carbohydrates and thereby increased yields is provided.

Abstract: A process for treatment of a lignocellulosic material comprising contacting the lignocellulosic material with a solution of chloride ions, which solution comprises a concentration of chloride ions in the range from equal to or more than 1 ppm weight to equal to or less than 350 ppm weight based on the total weight of the solution; at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 120° C. to equal to or less than 200° C.; and at a pH in the range from equal to or more than 0.1 to equal to or less than 4.

Abstract: Alcohols useful as fuel compositions are produced from biomass by: contacting the biomass with a cooking liquor containing 1 to 20 wt %, based on the cooking liquor, of sodium hydroxide, and under conditions effective to provide a pulp stream containing pulp having a lignin content of 5% to 20% by weight, based on the pulp washing the pulp stream; hydrolyzing the washed pulp stream with an enzyme solution; fermenting the hydrolyzate in the presence of a microorganism, one alcohol having 2 to 18 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for removing an alkanol impurity from a stream containing an organic carbonate and the alkanol impurity, comprising contacting the stream with a catalyst to effect reaction of the alkanol impurity with the organic carbonate.

Abstract: A process for the extraction of sugars and/or lignin from lignocellulose-containing solid biomass is provided.

Abstract: A method for producing furfural from lignocellulosic biomass material is provided, comprising (a) contacting the lignocellulosic biomass material with a mixture comprising water and an organic acid at a temperature of at least 100° C. and a pressure of at most 10 bar (absolute) to obtain a first liquid stream comprising hydrolysed hemicellulose and a second stream comprising lignin and cellulose; (b) maintaining the first liquid stream comprising hydrolysed hemicellulose at a temperature of at least 130° C. to obtain a second liquid stream comprising furfural; and (c) separating the furfural obtained in step b) from the second liquid stream.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of an alkylene carbonate by the reaction of an alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of a phosphonium catalyst in which process (a) the alkylene oxide, carbon dioxide and phosphonium catalyst are continuously introduced into a reaction zone from which a product stream containing alkylene carbonate and phosphonium catalyst is withdrawn; (b) alkylene carbonate and a stream containing phosphoniura catalyst are separated from the product stream; (c) the alkylene carbonate, separated in step (b), is recovered as product; and (d) the stream containing phosphoniura catalyst, separated in step (b), is recycled to the reaction zone, in which process a treatment of alkylene carbonate and/or catalyst with a sorption agent comprising carbon is carried out.

Abstract: An alkylene carbonate and an alkanol are subjected to transesterification to yield a dialkyl carbonate and alkanediol in a process comprising (a) introducing the alkylene carbonate and an alkanol feedstock into a reaction zone to react in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to yield an alkanediol-rich stream and a stream comprising dialkyl carbonate and alkanol, which streams are separated; (b) passing the stream comprising dialkyl carbonate and alkanol to an extractive distillation zone in which an extractant is added to the stream; (c) obtaining from the extractive distillation zone an alkanol-rich vapor stream and a bottom stream containing the extractant and the dialkyl carbonate; (d) separating the bottom stream from step (c) in a second non-extractive distillation zone to yield a dialkyl carbonate-rich top stream and a extractant-rich bottom stream; and (e) at least partly recycling the extractant-rich bottom stream to the extractive distillation zone, wherein the extractant-rich bottom str