Production of HMF from lignocellulosic food wastes

In this study, it was aimed to obtain Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from hazelnut shell and tea wastes, which are lignocellulosic food wastes, which are mostly used as fuel and/or animal feed in our country. The crude cellulose was obtained from hazelnut shell and tea wastes according to TS ISO 15598. The produced was reduced to sugar by acid hydrolysis method in which three different heating systems were used as pressure reactor, ohmic heating system and microwave-assisted heating. Firstly, the acid hydrolysis method and then catalyst organic solvent systems were used to fabricate HMF. In the method, the highest efficiency was obtained by reducing the cellulose-based material to sugar in an autoclave in 4% of H2SO4 solution and after saturating the sugar-rich mixture with NaCl, using CrCl3.6H2O catalyst for 1 hour at 131°C. The highest yield of 8.6 % and 6.7 % of HMF was obtained of cellulose obtained from tea waste and hazelnut shell by the acid hydrolysis method, respectively. Following, two different organic solvent system were applied, using DMA-LiCl and DMA-NaCl to fabricate HMF in the second method. The most effective result was accomplished via keeping the cellulose in DMA-NaCl/[EMIM]Cl solvent system at 50 °C for 24 hours and then catalyzing this with HCl and CrCl3.6H2O catalysts in 131 °C for 2 hours. HMF yields synthesized from cellulose obtained from tea waste and hazelnut shell in the organic solvent system method were 5.7 % and 3.1%, respectively. The HMF obtained from this methods was purified by the column chromatography, and its structure elucidated by FT-IR and NMR. It was determined ≥ 98.0 % purity HMF in the purity control with HPLC-UV. Our country has significant production potential in hazelnut and tea production worldwide. The thesis presents the HMF production and purification method from hazelnut shell and tea wastes left over from these products. Also, it shows that the different food wastes can use as alternative sources for the formation of valuable chemicals.