System-level analyses for the production of 1,6-hexanediol from cellulose

A new strategy for the production of 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HDO) from biomass is developed in this study. 1,6-HDO is obtained via various continuous catalytic conversions, including dehydration, hydrogenation, and hydrogenolysis. Effective separation blocks are designed to enable the reusing of the solvent and hydrogen as well as for the recovery of 1,6-HDO. Heat integration is performed to reduce energy requirements and a significant amount of energy is recovered by introducing heat pumps into the heat integration network. In our technoeconomic analysis, the minimum selling price of 1,6-HDO is estimated to be $5282/ton. This indicates that the proposed process has the potential to replace conventional petroleum-based methods for producing 1,6-HDO. Moreover, a pioneer plant analysis is carried out to assess the risks and uncertainties of a production plant by estimating performance shortfalls and growth costs. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the economic feasibility of the proposed process.