Sustainable Exploitation of Residual Cynara cardunculus L. to Levulinic Acid and n-Butyl Levulinate

Hydrolysis and butanolysis of lignocellulosic biomass are efficient routes to produce two valuable bio-based platform chemicals, levulinic acid n-butyl levulinate, which find increasing applications in the field biofuels for synthesis intermediates chemical pharmaceutical industries, food additives, surfactants, solvents polymers. In this research, acid-catalyzed hydrolysis waste residue Cynara cardunculus L. (cardoon), remaining after seed removal oil exploitation, was investigated. The cardoon employed as-received a steam-explosion treatment causes an enrichment cellulose. effects main reaction parameters, such as catalyst type loading, time, temperature heating methodology, on process were assessed. Levulinic molar yields up about 50 mol % with concentrations 62.1 g/L reached. Moreover, one-pot steam-exploded bio-alcohol n-butanol investigated, demonstrating direct production levulinate good yield, 42.5 %. These results demonstrate that residual represent promising feedstock sustainable opening way complete exploitation crop.