Life cycle assessment of furfural production from sugarcane bagasse within a circular biorefinery framework

Abstract

Biorefineries are emerging as key strategies to promote sustainable development by transforming agro-industrial residues into value-added chemicals, energy, and materials. Among these, furfural stands out as a platform molecule derived from lignocellulosic biomass, with applications across the chemical, pharmaceutical, and fuel industries. However, the environmental performance of furfural production from sugarcane bagasse, a widely available residue in tropical regions, remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the environmental profile of an industrial-scale furfural plant integrated into an existing sugar mill in Argentina, utilizing primary experimental kinetic data obtained from local sugarcane bagasse. A conceptual process was developed and simulated based on kinetic data obtained experimentally using locally sourced bagasse, enabling the calculation of detailed mass and energy balances through process simulation. The production process comprises three stages: mechanical pretreatment, two-step acid hydrolysis, and furfural recovery via solvent extraction and distillation. Environmental impacts were assessed using life cycle assessment through a midpoint impact approach. Results show that sulfuric acid used in hydrolysis is the main contributor to human toxicity and ecotoxicity impacts, while the use of toluene is a significant contributor to resource depletion and global warming potential. The findings indicate that reducing acid consumption, improving solvent recovery, and enhancing heat integration are key levers for environmental improvement. This study demonstrates the feasibility of integrating furfural production into existing agro-industrial systems, highlighting its potential within biorefinery strategies to maximize the value of agro-industrial residues.