Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.53, No.26, 10688-10699, 2014
Alternative Approaches for p-Xylene Production from Starch: Techno-Economic Analysis
Two alternatives for the production of p-xylene from starch are investigated using detailed techno-economic analysis. The first route is based on the patents by GEVO Inc. and uses fermentation followed by the catalytic conversion, whereas the second one utilizes CCEI-discoveries - solely the catalytic conversion. The minimum p-xylene price for the GEVO and CCEI processes is found as $4121 and $3637/metric ton, respectively, without accounting for the byproduct values, while taking into consideration that the byproduct value leads to $3481 and $2885/metric ton. Using sensitivity analysis, the biomass feedstock cost is determined as a major contributor of the total cost. Other significant contributors include biocatalyst cost in the GEVO process and ethylene and solvent (THF) costs in the CCEI process. The impacts of selectivity and conversion on the p-xylene price for the CCEI process are investigated. High selectivity is favorable compared to high conversion due to recycling used to improve the performance in the latter case.