Production of 1,4-

Butanediol from
Renewable Resources
Significance:

 production of a 1,4-butanediol processing plant. BDO is an important

intermediate in the production of polymers like PBT, and PBS, and of solvents
like THF.
 With several processing routes to choose from, we decided to choose the Davy
Method for the production of BDO from succinic acid. Four steps are undertaken
in this method: Two esterification steps of succinic acid to the to the intermediary
dimethyl succinate, followed by two Hydrogenolysis steps to convert this ester to
our desired product of 1,4-butanediol
Process

 . The full process from start to finish is discussed, including the design of an
Ammonia Fibre Expansion pre-treatment process to expose the desired glucan and
later converted to glucose; a fermenter to convert the glucose to succinic acid; a
crystalliser to purify the produced succinic acid; a fixed bed reactor for the
esterification of succinic acid; and a Plug Flow Reactor for the Hydrogenolysis of
dimethyl succinate and purification of our product, 1,4-butanediol.
Corn Stover

 Utilising stover for succinic acid production has the benefits of avoiding
competition with food production, being relatively cheap and widely available,
and giving the highest succinic acid concentration,
 The production rate of our BDO works out to be 70227 tonne per annum with the
selected process. These results in 287,000 tonne of raw material (corn stover)
needed per annum. After the economic analysis was conducted, the selling price
of BDO worked out to be $3.25/kg with a production cost of $0.92 per kg. A total
net cash flow at the end of the projected 10 years is estimated to be $468,000,000.
Importance:

 ‘Bio-based succinic acid’ has the same the chemical equivalence to conventionally
produced succinic acid, and is suitable for the same applications. Most
importantly, bio-based succinic production avoids the use of the fossil fuel route
and instead takes advantage of fermentation process. F
 The industry standard for manufacturing 1,4-butanediol is based on Reppe
Chemistry. This is the original method of production and requires the use of fossil
fuels. Acetylene, derived from coal, natural gas or oil, is reacted with
formaldehyde to form butynediol. This butynediol is then hydrogenated to form
BDO under high pressure.
Process:

 Davy Method of Succinic Acid to 1,4-Butanediol: Johnson Matthey developed a

two-step process for the conversion of succinic acid to 1,4- butanediol. The
succinic acid first under goes esterification to dimethyl succinate, at low
temperature followed by a high temperature hydrogenolysis to 1,4-butanediol.
The purpose of the esterification step is to convert the acidic feed to a non‐acidic
intermediate ester, which is much easier to convert to 1,4-butanediol compared to
the acidic feed. This two-step method requires two reaction vessels and
purification processes, but utilises relatively cheap catalysts to balance the
additional vessel capital costs.
Environmental

 suggests a 56% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus conventional

processes.
 Energy suggesting a decrease in CO2 emissions of 70%
 60-87% less fossil
Raw material in Pakistan:

 14th largest producer of corn worldwide.

 . Production of maize in Pakistan is set to reach 8.9 million metric tons by 2026

 Pakistan has a prominent textile industry, and polyurethanes produced using 1,4-
butanediol are used in the production of synthetic fibers and textiles. Examining
the role of BDO in enhancing the performance of textiles and its contribution to
the textile sector in Pakistan can be a relevant research focus..