Methods for the production of 2,4-dihydroxybutyrate (2,4-DHB) from erythrose and other four-carbon sugars are disclosed. The improved methods facilitate the production of 2,4-DHB that is a precursor for biorenewable and animal nutrition chemicals among others.

The present disclosure provides a method for biological object degradation. The method may include: providing a first biological object; providing a catalyst that forms a mixture with the first biological object and includes a copper element; and obtaining a first liquid phase and a first solid phase by heating the mixture in an atmosphere including hydrogen. The first liquid phase may include a sugar. The present disclosure also provides a system and a catalyst for biological object degradation.

The present disclosure provides a method for biological object degradation. The method may include: providing a first biological object; providing a catalyst that forms a mixture with the first biological object and includes a copper element; and obtaining a first liquid phase and a first solid phase by heating the mixture in an atmosphere including hydrogen. The first liquid phase may include a sugar. The present disclosure also provides a system and a catalyst for biological object degradation.

In the present invention, a sugar alcohol can be efficiently produced from a cellulose-containing biomass by carrying out a step (1) of filtering an aqueous sugar solution, which is obtained by hydrolysis of a cellulose-containing biomass, by passing the solution through a separation membrane having a molecular cut-off of 300-800 so as to remove catalyst poisons to the non-permeate side and collecting a sugar solution from the permeate side, and a step (2) of subjecting the sugar solution obtained in step (1) to a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a metal catalyst.

The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for co-producing a xylitol and a caramel pigment by utilizing a xylose mother liquid, including an extraction assembly, a refined hydrogenation assembly and a browning reaction assembly. The extraction assembly is configured to obtain an extracted liquid and a raffinate liquid respectively by performing an initial extraction on the xylose mother liquid; the refined hydrogenation assembly is configured to prepare a crystal xylitol by performing a refined hydrogenation process on the extracted liquid; the browning reaction assembly is configured to prepare the caramel pigment by performing a browning reaction process on the raffinate liquid.

The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for co-producing a xylitol and a caramel pigment by utilizing a xylose mother liquid, including an extraction assembly, a refined hydrogenation assembly and a browning reaction assembly. The extraction assembly is configured to obtain an extracted liquid and a raffinate liquid respectively by performing an initial extraction on the xylose mother liquid; the refined hydrogenation assembly is configured to prepare a crystal xylitol by performing a refined hydrogenation process on the extracted liquid; the browning reaction assembly is configured to prepare the caramel pigment by performing a browning reaction process on the raffinate liquid.

The invention concerns a method for converting a feedstock selected from sugars or sugar alcohols, alone or in a mixture, into mono- or polyoxygenated compounds, wherein the feedstock is contacted with at least one heterogeneous catalyst comprising a support selected from perovskites of formula ABO.sub.3, in which A is selected from the elements Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba and B is selected from the elements Fe, Mn, Ti and Zr, and the oxides of elements selected from lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium and cerium, alone or in a mixture, which oxides can be doped with at least one element selected from alkali metals, alkaline earths and rare earths, in a reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of 100 C. to 300 C. and at a pressure of 0.1 MPa to 50 MPa.

The invention concerns a method for converting a feedstock selected from sugars or sugar alcohols, alone or in a mixture, into mono- or polyoxygenated compounds, wherein the feedstock is contacted with at least one heterogeneous catalyst comprising a support selected from perovskites of formula ABO.sub.3, in which A is selected from the elements Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba and B is selected from the elements Fe, Mn, Ti and Zr, and the oxides of elements selected from lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium and cerium, alone or in a mixture, which oxides can be doped with at least one element selected from alkali metals, alkaline earths and rare earths, in a reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of 100 C. to 300 C. and at a pressure of 0.1 MPa to 50 MPa.

The present invention relates to the process for production of a polyol from palm oil and of rigid polyurethane foams prepared from said polyol derived from palm oil. On the one hand, this invention provides a method for obtaining monomeric polyols from palm oil that have hydroxyl number between 50 450 mgKOH/g sample. The polyols of the present application may be obtained by means of a procedure based on the following four mother routes: Route 1: maleinisation of the fatty acids of palm oil; Route 2: glycerolysis of palm oil; Route 3: trancesterification of palm oil; and Route 4: epoxidation of unsaturated carbon-carbon links of palm oil. Additionally, other modalities of the invention permit obtaining polyols from the combination of these mother routes. In other realizations of the invention polyurethanes are prepared from polyols obtained through any of the four routes or by combinations of the same.

The present invention relates to the process for production of a polyol from palm oil and of rigid polyurethane foams prepared from said polyol derived from palm oil. On the one hand, this invention provides a method for obtaining monomeric polyols from palm oil that have hydroxyl number between 50 450 mgKOH/g sample. The polyols of the present application may be obtained by means of a procedure based on the following four mother routes: Route 1: maleinisation of the fatty acids of palm oil; Route 2: glycerolysis of palm oil; Route 3: trancesterification of palm oil; and Route 4: epoxidation of unsaturated carbon-carbon links of palm oil. Additionally, other modalities of the invention permit obtaining polyols from the combination of these mother routes. In other realizations of the invention polyurethanes are prepared from polyols obtained through any of the four routes or by combinations of the same.