Biofuel containing levoglucosone and its production process from cellulose or starch using as a solvent a mixture of an ionic liquid and an alkyl alcohol

Abstract

The product Biofuel is presented as a motor fuel consisting of levoglucosone pure or mixed with ethanol and or hydrocarbons. Its production process from cellulose or starch uses in the first step, as a solvent and catalyst, a mixture of an alkyl alcohol, the ionic liquid N-alkyl imidazole hydrochloride and a small quantity of 37% concentrated hydrochloric acid. In the second step, levoglucosone is extracted with butanol. As butanol also extracts some N-alkyl imidazole, this is washed out by extraction with hydrochloric acid. Levoglucosone was identified by elemental analysis, NMR C13 and H and GC-MS.

1 . A biofuel for motor cars containing levoglucosone pure or mixed with an alkyl alcohol and or hydrocarbons, its production process from wood or sugar cane itself or bagasse, cellulose or starch using as a solvent a mixture of N-alkylimidazole hydrochloride, an alkyl alcohol and 37% hydrochloric acid, followed by an extraction with butanol followed by an extraction of the butanol extract with hydrochloric acid 37% to remove some N-Alkyl imidazole contained in the butanol extract, followed by destillation of the washed butanol extract. 
     
     
         2 . In the process of  claim 1  where the ionic liquids N-alkyl imidazole contain as the alkyl group methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl. 
     
     
         3 . In the process of  claim 1  where the alcohol mixed with the ionic liquid is an alkyl alcohol with a number of carbon atoms from 1 to 10, preferably one carbon atom and where the proportion of alcohol to ionic liquid may vary from 1% to 30%, which can be added at the start of the reaction or in small rates during the reaction. 
     
     
         4 . In the process of  claim 1  where the amount of hydrochloric acid 37% added to the ionic liquid is 1% to 15%. 
     
     
         5 . In the process of  claim 1  where the reaction time is 20 minutes to 180 minutes and the temperature 80 to 250° C. 
     
     
         6 . In the process of  claim 1  where before extraction of the ionic liquid reaction phase with butanol, the ionic liquid reaction phase is mixed with water to reduce the viscosity and the miscibility of butanol with the ionic liquid. 
     
     
         7 . In the process of  claim 1  where the butanol extracts are themselves extracted with 37% hydrochloric acid in order to remove any N-alkyl imidazol contained in the butanol extracts 
     
     
         8 . In the process of  claim 1  where the levoglucosone, which has a boiling point of 203° C., is added directly to diesel oil or gasoline, or is added with the addition of an alkyl alcohol to make mixing easier, where the alcohol may contain 1 to 6 carbon atoms