Production of Furfural From Sugarcane Bagasse

The frequent crisis in petroleum supply possibility of its scarcity prices instability and negative effects to the environment the interest in alternative energy sources has increased in the last years. These important concerns have stimulated the search for new well-distributed and non-contaminant renewable sources of energy including solar wind hydroelectric power biomass and geothermal activity. Furfural is an important renewable top value-added nonpetroleum based organic chemical produced industrially from biomass agro industrial wastes and residues like sugarcane mill industries pulp and paper factories containing carbohydrates known as hemicelluloses. Furfural and its derivatives are extensively used in plastics pharmaceutical agrochemical industries and widely applied as fungicides and nematocidal transportation fuels gasoline additives lubricants resins decolorizing agents jet fuel blend stocks drugs insecticides bio-plastics flavour enhancers for food and drinks rapid all-weather repair system for bomb-damaged runways and pot holes and also for wood modification and book preservation.