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hydroxymethylation of FUR with formaldehyde is the commercial method for producing hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Commercial production of furan and
tetrahydrofuran (THF) is also via catalytic decarbonylation and successive hydrogenation of FUR.
The different kinds and types of catalysts used in these processes of hydrogenation, alkylation and reduction by various researchers over the period of time also
need to be properly combined in a single source, so as to create an updated library
of various reaction pathways done so far with FUR to produce various kinds of
value-added chemicals.
Keywords C5 sugars · Xylan · Furfural · Furfural hydrogenation · Resinification
1 Introduction
History: In year 1831, Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner successfully isolated an oily
substance which was yellow in colour, through the reaction of carbohydrates by
sulphuric acid and manganese oxide. In 1845, George Fownes prepared a similar
substance when he experimented with bran in acid medium for digestion and named
the product obtained as furfural, which had a molecular formula C 5 H 4 O 2 . In 1922,
Quaker Oats Company of Iowa which was located at Cedar Rapids started commercial mass production of the chemical furfural in their cereal production industry
with a production rate of several tonnes per month [1]. The usage and applications
of furfural in the oil-refining industry and phenol resins gradually necessitated the
increase in synthesis of furfural in the years 1930s to 1940s. Commercial availability of furfuryl alcohol by the process of high-pressure reduction was also started by
Quaker Oats in 1934, which is presently the largest product derived from furfural.
Du Pont in 1949 discovered Nylon 66 by a new process using furfural which led to
exponential increase of the production of furfural in the 1950s. It was eventually
abandoned by Du Pont in 1961, when one of the important intermediates, tetrahydrofuran, started to be manufactured from C 4 hydrocarbons (Reppe process).
Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol which is soluble in water was produced by using furfuryl
alcohol as precursor in 1955 for commercial uses. In 1958, resins manufactured
from furfural and its derivatives found wide usage in the foundry industry after a
new process which involves furan was introduced for the production of casting
moulds. Subsequently in 1985 furfuryl alcohol was used as a key intermediate for
producing ranitidine, an antiulcer drug.
Some chemicals derived from furfural:
• Furfuryl alcohol.
• Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.
• Furfural resins.
• Levulinic acid.
• γ-Valerolactone.
N. J. Mazumdar et al.
hydroxymethylation of FUR with formaldehyde is the commercial method for producing hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Commercial production of furan and
tetrahydrofuran (THF) is also via catalytic decarbonylation and successive hydrogenation of FUR.
The different kinds and types of catalysts used in these processes of hydrogenation, alkylation and reduction by various researchers over the period of time also
need to be properly combined in a single source, so as to create an updated library
of various reaction pathways done so far with FUR to produce various kinds of
value-added chemicals.
Keywords C5 sugars · Xylan · Furfural · Furfural hydrogenation · Resinification
1 Introduction
History: In year 1831, Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner successfully isolated an oily
substance which was yellow in colour, through the reaction of carbohydrates by
sulphuric acid and manganese oxide. In 1845, George Fownes prepared a similar
substance when he experimented with bran in acid medium for digestion and named
the product obtained as furfural, which had a molecular formula C 5 H 4 O 2 . In 1922,
Quaker Oats Company of Iowa which was located at Cedar Rapids started commercial mass production of the chemical furfural in their cereal production industry
with a production rate of several tonnes per month [1]. The usage and applications
of furfural in the oil-refining industry and phenol resins gradually necessitated the
increase in synthesis of furfural in the years 1930s to 1940s. Commercial availability of furfuryl alcohol by the process of high-pressure reduction was also started by
Quaker Oats in 1934, which is presently the largest product derived from furfural.
Du Pont in 1949 discovered Nylon 66 by a new process using furfural which led to
exponential increase of the production of furfural in the 1950s. It was eventually
abandoned by Du Pont in 1961, when one of the important intermediates, tetrahydrofuran, started to be manufactured from C 4 hydrocarbons (Reppe process).
Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol which is soluble in water was produced by using furfuryl
alcohol as precursor in 1955 for commercial uses. In 1958, resins manufactured
from furfural and its derivatives found wide usage in the foundry industry after a
new process which involves furan was introduced for the production of casting
moulds. Subsequently in 1985 furfuryl alcohol was used as a key intermediate for
producing ranitidine, an antiulcer drug.
Some chemicals derived from furfural:
• Furfuryl alcohol.
• Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.
• Furfural resins.
• Levulinic acid.
• γ-Valerolactone.
N. J. Mazumdar et al.