RT info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject
T1 Sustainable production of lactic acid from corn stover using catalytic hydrothermal treatments: a comparative study of alkaline and Lewis acid catalysis
A1 Candela Gil, Helena
A1 Illera Gigante, Alba Ester
A1 Barea Gómez, Pedro
A1 Beltrán Calvo, Sagrario
A1 Sanz Díez, Mª Teresa
K1 Lactic acid
K1 Corn stover
K1 Hydrothermal treatment
K1 Alkaline catalysis
K1 Lewis acid catalysis
AB Corn stover, an abundant lignocellulosic agricultural residue, offers great potential as a feedstockfor the sustainable production of high value-added biochemicals, contributing to circular economystrategies and rural development. Among these compounds is lactic acid (LA), a key monomer inthe synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA)—an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleumbased plastics due to its biodegradable properties and low environmental impact. PLA is suitablefor food packaging and agricultural plastic applications. This study explores two sustainableapproaches for second-generation lactic acid production from corn stover (5% w/v) usinghydrothermal treatments assisted by catalysts: Ca(OH)₂ for alkaline catalysis and AlCl₃ for Lewisacid catalysis. In the first process, Ca(OH)₂ at 0.3 M achieves a 32% yield (12.4 g/L LA) underisothermal conditions at 260 °C. An excess of catalyst is required to maintain an optimal OH⁻/sugarmonomer molar ratio of 2.61. In contrast, in the second process, AlCl₃ at 0.016 M produces a20.7% yield (7.4 g/L LA) at 190 °C. However, higher AlCl₃ concentrations promote thedegradation of dehydration products into levulinic and formic acids, decreasing LA selectivity.Alkaline catalysis required higher temperatures for optimal yield, while Lewis acid catalysis wasmore temperature-sensitive, as prolonged exposure leads to LA degradation. Both Ca(OH)₂ andAlCl₃ are promising catalysts due to their low cost, availability, and low toxicity, making themviable for converting corn residues into lactic acid in a sustainable biorefinery context.
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12219
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12219
LA eng
NO Trabajo presentado en: XVI International Scientific Agriculture Symposium "Agrosym 2025", Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 2-5, 2025
NO To the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2022-136385OB-I00) and Junta de Castilla y León (BU027P23). To Junta de Castilla y León for funding H. Candela’s PhD scholarship (Orden EDU/109/2024).
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 03-oct-2026