Holistic Valorization of Hemp through Reductive Catalytic\nFractionation
Suthawan Muangmeesri, Ning Li, Dimitrios Georgouvelas, Pierre Ouagne, Vincent Placet, Aji P. Mathew, Joseph S. M. Samec
Abstract
Despite the increased\nuse of hemp fiber, negligible attention has\nbeen given to upgrade the hemp hurd, which constitutes up to 70 wt\n% of the hemp stalk and is currently considered a low-value byproduct.\nIn this work, valorization of hemp hurd was performed by reductive\ncatalytic fractionation (RCF) in the presence of a metal catalyst.\nWe found an unexpectedly high yield of monophenolic compounds (38.3\nwt %) corresponding to above 95% of the theoretical maximum yield.\nThe high yield is explained by both a thin cell wall and high S-lignin\ncontent. In addition, organosolv pulping was performed to generate\na pulp that was bleached to produce dissolving-grade pulp suitable\nfor textile fiber production (viscosity, 898 mL/g; ISO-brightness,\n90.2%) and nanocellulose. Thus, we have demonstrated a novel value\nchain from a low-value side stream of hemp fiber manufacture that\nhas the potential to increase textile fiber production with 100% yield\nand also give bio-oil for green chemicals.