Pine bio‐oil based biorefinery procedure for the production of antioxidants, acids, and sugars

Abstract In this study, a wood‐based biorefinery with Pinus halepensis biomass was developed to obtain acids, sugars, and antioxidants with high recovery yields. Pine wood residues from sustainable forest management are transformed into bio‐oil (BO) and separated into value‐added chemicals with an integrated and innovative methodology. First, biomass is thoroughly characterized and the optimum operational parameters to produce BO are determined, the maximum yield being obtained at 450 °C. Second, BO is processed using a novel approach that integrates adsorption chromatography, vacuum distillation, liquid–liquid extraction, and precipitation, all of which are mature techniques at an industrial scale. This methodology offers a step forward to a more integrated strategy than current studies in the literature, allowing the simultaneous recovery of multiple chemicals rather than focusing only on the separation of a single family of compounds. The BO was divided into three fractions: (1) an acid‐rich fraction, containing polar compounds with low boiling points such as acetic acid, formic acid, acetol, and furfural; (2) a sugar‐rich fraction, containing polar compounds with higher boiling points like levoglucosan, 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5HMF), and methyl cyclopentenolone, and (3) an antioxidant fraction, containing phenolic species with antioxidant properties such as phenol, guaiacol, catechol and vanillin. Elevated recovery yields were obtained: 69 wt% of the initial acetic acid with a value of 18 g·kg −1 biomass, 92 wt% of the initial levoglucosan with a value of 10 g·kg −1 biomass, and 65 wt% of the initial phenol with a value of 0.7 g·kg −1 biomass. This represents a step forward in the development of biorefineries and the integrated production of chemicals for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and chemical industries from a renewable feedstock: wood.