Bioplastic materials production with multi-phases segmented flow using a microreactor

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15350
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 27020:Chemical reaction and process system engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Muranaka Yosuke 京都大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (40756243)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: スラグ流 / マイクロリアクター / 反応分離

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A segmented flow is one of the unique flow state which can be only realized by a microreactor. By utilizing this segmented flow, a one-pot flow reaction/extraction was examined. Two-phases segmented flow enabled a very efficient simultaneous reaction/extraction, and glucose was converted into HMF, which is one of the promising chemical as a material of bioplastic, at remarkably high yield of 85 %. Furthermore, two-phases segmented flow was expanded to three-phases segmented flow by controlling the apparatus with the developed algorithm. The developed three-phases segmented flow was applied to reaction/extraction-extraction/reaction system, in concrete from fructose to HMF (reaction/extraction) and from HMF to glycolic acid (extraction/reaction). As the result, the fructose reaction rate was accelerated beyond the two-phases segmented flow system.

Free Research Field

化学工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

全ての反応は平衡に制限され、これを突破して反応を進めることは不可能である。スラグ流を利用した反応／抽出の同時操作により生成物を常に反応場から取り出すことで、反応平衡を常時目的生成物側へと偏らせることで、反応速度の向上を達成した。これを３相での反応、抽出、さらに異なる相への抽出／反応へと拡張することで、その中間の抽出操作において発生する平衡による制限も軽減することに成功した。本成果は未だ適用系が限定的であるなどの課題が残るものの、今後の化学品製造効率の飛躍に向けた大きな可能性を示すものである。