Sugar beet pulp: from agricultural waste to a strategic industrial molecule

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is one of the most sought-after molecules in the chemical industry. Versatile and high value-added, it lies at the heart of green chemistry‘s ambitions. The problem: it is still produced mainly from fructose and glucose derived from food crops, often imported from abroad. Supported by Carnot MICA, the BIOVAL project brought together researchers from the ICPEES laboratory and the private research centre RITTMO to change the game: producing this strategic molecule from sugar beet pulp — the residue of the sugar industry that usually ends up in cattle feed.

Beet pulp at the heart of an innovative process

Millions of tonnes. That is how much sugar beet pulp is produced in Europe every year — a residue of sugar extraction, today largely underused. Yet this waste could become an opportunity no one had truly seized.

This is where BIOVAL comes in. By developing a catalyst capable of converting this pulp into 5-HMF, researchers at ICPEES have opened an unexpected pathway. Even better: where the conventional process requires 90 minutes at 140°C and an organic solvent, microwaves achieve the same result in 10 minutes, solvent-free, in water. The first results are in — obtained without even optimising the parameters. The room for improvement is enormous. As for the reaction residues, they were tested for soil application: no harmful effects detected on micro-organisms, though further testing is still needed for a complete ecotoxicity assessment.

From sugar beet pulp to 5-HMF: the BIOVAL process

ICPEES

Solid acid catalyst

5-HMF

Organic phase

Fraction analysed by ICPEES

RITTMO

Sugar beet pulp

Cellulose
Fructose
Glucose

Microwaves

10 min · solvent-free · in water

Aqueous phase

Valorisation & ecotoxicity

Solid residue

Soil application

A process designed for industry

BIOVAL did not stop at 5-HMF production. From the outset, the project integrated the question of reaction residues, studied for their return to the soil. Reaction waste becomes an agricultural resource. The model is thus designed to be viable end-to-end:

• A local, abundant raw material, with no competition with the food supply
• Electrified processes (microwaves, induction) reducing energy consumption
• Recoverable residues, with no environmental impact
• Technology transferable to other cellulosic feedstocks, including textile waste

The spectrum of 5-HMF applications

Versatile and bio-based, the 5-HMF molecule opens up concrete opportunities across many industrial sectors.

Promising prospects

Proof of concept is validated. The next steps aim to improve yields, test other substrates, and confirm the safety of the residues at a larger scale.