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A jet-stirred reactor was designed and constructed in the Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); was validated with n-heptane, iso-octane oxidation and cyclohexene pyrolysis. Different configurations of the setup have been tested to achieve good agreement with results from the literature. Test results of the reactor indicated that installation of a pumping system at the downstream side in the experimental apparatus was necessary to avoid the reoccurrence of reactions in the sampling probe. Experiments in ethyl levulinate oxidation were conducted in the reactor under several equivalence ratios, from 600 to 1000 K, 1 bar and 2 s residence time. Oxygenated species detected included methyl vinyl ketone, levulinic acid and ethyl acrylate. Ethylene, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide were further quantified with a gas chromatography, coupled with a flame ionization detector and a thermal conductivity detector. The ethyl levulinate chemical kinetic model was first developed by Dr. Stephen Dooley, Trinity College Dublin, and simulated under the same conditions, using the Perfect-Stirred Reactor code in Chemkin software. In comparing the simulation results with experimental data, some discrepancies were noted; predictions of ethylene production were not well matched. The kinetic model was improved by updating several classes of reactions: unimolecular decomposition, H-abstraction, C-C and C-O beta-scissions of fuel radicals. The updated model was then compared again with experimental results and good agreement was achieved, proving that the concerted eliminated reaction is crucial for the kinetic mechanism formulation of ethyl levulinate. In addition, primary reaction pathways and sensitivity analysis were performed to describe the role of molecular structure in combustion (800 and 1000 K for ethyl levulinate oxidation in the jet-stirred reactor).

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising alternative to non-renewable fossil fuel resources for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. Levulinic acid (LA) is considered to be a versatile platform chemical which can be derived from biomass and further upgraded to high-value products like levulinate esters. In this work, the direct chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethyl levulinate (EL) through LA was studied in collaboration with Gascon Biomass Research Inc. in an effort to valorize their surplus of lignocellulosic feedstock obtained from biomass recycling activities. A novel one-pot, biphasic, acid-catalyzed hydrolysis-esterification process developed by Prof. Tom Baker's lab (uOttawa Chemistry) was used. Kinetic analyses of the overall reaction pathway and major reaction steps were performed to investigate the effect of reaction conditions such as time, temperature, alcohol concentration, and catalyst concentration and evaluate the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. Reactions were well modeled by power law rate equations with applicability of the Arrhenius expression and exhibited nearly first-order dependence with respect to each of the corresponding reactants and catalyst, as expected. Kinetic studies of LA esterification to various levulinate esters showed that the reaction is endothermic, endergonic, non-spontaneous, and non-rate-limiting. Increased alcohol alkyl chain length and branching reduced the thermodynamic favourability of LA esterification, likely due to steric effects. Process considerations such as reactor pressure, LA and EL partitioning, solvent:feedstock ratio, solvent recycling, and alternative feedstocks were investigated through various lab-scale studies and simulation case studies with UniSim® Design. The results of experimental studies informed the development of a preliminary potential process flow diagram consisting of eleven batch slurry reactors under agitation in parallel. The product streams feed into a continuous separation process composed of flash vessels and distillation columns to separate and purify the various products, intermediates, unconsumed reactants, and recoverable catalyst and solvent. This work ultimately informs decisions regarding future pilot-scale experiments, process design, and optimization for the envisioned large-scale biorefinery to produce EL.

Control of the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meats is a major concern in the food industry. The objective of this study was to compare the growth of L. monocytogenes on refrigerated RTE meats containing sodium levulinate (4-oxopentanoic acid, a five carbon organic acid with GRAS status), sodium lactate, or a combination of sodium lactate and sodium diacetate. Turkey roll and bologna were prepared to contain (wt/wt) sodium lactate (2%); sodium lactate in combination with sodium diacetate (1.875% sodium lactate, 0.125% sodium diacetate); sodium levulinate (1, 2, or 3%); or no antilisterial additive. Samples were sliced, inoculated with a 5-strain cocktail (102 to 103 CFU/cm2) of L. monocytogenes, vacuum packaged, and stored at 2°C for 0-12 weeks. Triplicate packages of each treatment were analyzed bi-weekly for growth of the pathogen. Bacterial counts exceeded 105 CFU/cm2 in controls after 4 weeks in turkey and over 106 CFU/cm2 after 8 weeks in bologna. In turkey, L. monocytogenes showed significant growth in samples containing sodium lactate after 6 weeks(>104 CFU/cm2) and after 8 weeks when used in combination with diacetate. Further, samples containing 1% sodium Jevulinate did not show significant growth of the pathogen for 10 weeks (~104 CFU/cm2), while those containing 2% and 3% levulinate inhibited growth for 12 weeks. In bologna, adding any antimicrobial inhibited growth for 12 weeks. Finally, Listeria-free samples of turkey roll and bologna, containing the various organic acid salts, were evaluated by members of consumer taste panels. Statistical analysis (ANOV A) showed that there were no differences in overall liking of samples of turkey roll (p = 0.19) or bologna (p = 0.42). In turkey, sodium levulinate was more effective at preventing growth of L. monocytogenes, while in bologna it was as effective as the current industry standards lactate and diacetate. Addition of levulinate did not alter the sensory acceptability of either product

This study compared the effects of 1.4 or 2.7% sodium levulinate or sodium lactate on aerobic plate count (APC), color, pH, and TBA value of fresh pork and turkey sausage. Both sodium lactate and Jevulinate inhibited growth of aerobic microorganisms during storage, compared to controls. Bacteriostatic effects of sodium lactate were dose dependent, wherein 2.7% lactate was significantly more antimicrobial than 1.4% lactate. This was not the case for sodium levulinate, where 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth as 2.7% sodium levulinate. Additionally, 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth as the higher level (2.7%) of sodium lactate. TBA values, color, and pH were not affected by treatment with sodium lactate or levulinate. In conclusion, sodium levulinate may have potential as an antimicrobial agent in fresh sausages if it can be obtained at a reasonable cost on a commercial basis.

Dans cette thèse, nous avons décrit de nouvelles méthodes pour la préparation de polymères et de produits chimiques à partir de ressources renouvelables:Premièrement, nous avons défini une nouvelle méthode de préparation de sulfonamides, utilisant des nitro-aromatiques et des sels de sulfinate de sodium, dans une solution aqueuse de bisulfite de sodium, en tant qu’agent réducteur non toxique. Le produit a été séparé par une simple filtration. La réaction montre une chimio-sélectivité complète, seuls les substrats nitro déficitaire en électrons sont réactifs. Cependant, et contrairement à la littérature, les sels de sulfinate de sodium aromatiques et aliphatiques se sont révélés réactifs dans nos conditions. De plus, nous avons utilisé cette méthode pour préparer de manière écologique le catalyseur de zinc décrit par Karamé et al. et utilisé pour la cycloaddition du dioxyde de carbone avec des époxydes, afin d'accéder aux monomères de polycarbonates pour la préparation de polyuréthane non isocyanate.Ensuite, nous avons étudié la préparation de bis-carbonate de mannitol à partir de mannitol, en utilisant le carbonate de diméthyle comme réactif et comme solvant. Le carbonate de glycérol a été utilisé comme co-solvant en raison de ses propriétés de solubilisation intéressantes. La possibilité de synthèse des monomères diamines entièrement renouvelables a également été étudiée en utilisant des derives des sucres comme la furfurylamine et le 5-méthylfurfural. Nous avons également etudier l’aminolyse du bis-carbonate du mannitol avec la furfurylamine à la température ambiante. De plus, nous avons comparé la stabilité de ce carbonate avec les monomères carbonates commerciaux en utilisant une analyse gravimétrique thermique.Enfin, nous avons préparé le diester de 4,4'-oxydipentanoate de diéthyle à partir de lévulinate d'éthyle par éthérification réductrice sans solvant, catalysée par du triflate de cuivre, en utilisant du tétraméthydisiloxane comme agent réducteur. En outre, nous avons prouvé que ce nouveau monomère était utilisable dans la préparation des polyesters et des polyamides, dans des conditions de polycondensation classiques, en utilisant le propane diol et l’hexaméthylène diamine comme monomères modèles / In this thesis, we describe new methods for the preparation of polymers and chemicals from renewable resources: First we have defined new method for the preparation of sulfonamides, using nitro aromatics and sodium sulfinate salts, in aqueous sodium bisulfite solution as a non toxic reducing agent. The product was separated by simple filtration and the reaction show full chemoslectivity, only electron poor nitro substrates are reactive. However, in contrast with the literature, aromatic and aliphatic sodium sulfinate salts were found reactive under our conditions. In addition, we have used this method to prepare, in a green way, the active zinc catalyst reported by Karamé et al. for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide with epoxydes, in order to access to polycarbonates monomers for non-isocyanate polyurethane preparation.Then, we have investigated the preparation of high purity mannitol bis-carbonate from mannitol using dimethyl carbonate as a reagent and as a solvent. Glycerol carbonate was used as co-solvent due to its interesting solubilization properties. The possibility of the synthesis of fully renewable diamine monomers was also investigated using furfurylamine and 5-methylfurfural derivated from sugars. We have also uncovered its high reactivity toward uncatalyzed aminolysis with furfurylamine at room temperature. Furthermore, we have compared the stability of this carbonate with existing commercial monomers using thermal gravimetric analysis.Finally, we prepared the diethyl 4,4'-oxydipentanoate diester from renewable ethyl levulinate was prepared by solventless reductive etherification, catalyzed by copper triflate, using tetramethydisiloxane as safe and low-cost reducing agent. Besides, we have proved the usability of this new monomer in the preparation of sustainable polyesters and polyamides, under classical polycondensation conditions, using propane diol and hexamethylene diamine as model monomers