Industrial processes for biobased and speciality chemicals - Domande per l'esame

INDUSTRIAL

PROCESSES for

BIOBASED and

SPECIALITY

CHEMICALS

MULTIPLE-CHOICE and

SHORT QUESTIONS

1)​ How to solve the issue of acid/basis recovery?

Acid/base recovery in the acid or base hydrolysis treatment is the main challenge of such a

process. The recovery is quite important since the catalyst must not contaminate the final

product and it is also expensive, so it must be saved and re-used. The possibility for

recovering are:

●​ using solid catalyst (to avoid the need of recovery)

●​ ion exchange resins

●​ distillation

●​ evaporation

●​ use acids and basis which are really volatile and so easy to separate

2)​ How to hydrolyze the biomass without using acid/base?

We could use supercritical CO (for acid hydrolysis) or AFEX process (for base hydrolysis)

2

because the recovery of such compounds is easy and the biomass doesn't need any

neutralization at the end.

3)​ Which statement is incorrect in the context of Wholistic biorefinery?

A. Minimize waste and increase atom economy

B. Increase energy efficiency

C. It aims removing invaluable chemicals from the biomass

D. Enhance the economics of the biorefinery

C 4)​ What is the fundamental disadvantage of the wax extraction process by

supercritical carbon dioxide?

A. It's operated at high temperatures

B. CO partially remains in the wax, after extraction

2

C. It's energy intensive process due to high critical pressure

D. Wax extractions yields are law

C 1

5)​ The higher the temperature and the pressure of subcritical CO the higher would be

2

the extraction yield of the wax. This statement holds true:

A. Always

B. Sometimes

B 6)​ The most important application of β-diketone is:

A. Heavy metal extraction/removal

B. Hydrophobic coatings

C. Self cleaning windows

D. None of the above

A 7)​ In the context of bio-derived dyes, what is the purpose of the "formulation" step?

A.​ Adding binders, stabilizers, and alums to create the final commercial product.

B.​ Using solvent extraction to pull the dye from harvested plants.

C.​ Chemically modifying the benzene ring to increase brightness.

D.​ Removing heavy metals from the plant material

A 8)​ Which type of biomass is easy to process?

Biomass coming from food waste or in general a waste with low lignin and ash content.

9)​ From which source is pectin primarily extracted?

A.​ Animal connective tissues and bones

B.​ Fruit peels

C.​ Marine algae and seaweed extracts

D.​ Synthetic petroleum-based polymers

B 2

10)​Glutamic acid is not used for the production of:

A.​ Cinnamic acid

B.​ N-methylpyrrolidone

C.​ N-Vinylpyrrolidone

D.​ None of the above

A 11)​Any chemicals would be called platform molecule if:

A. It's present in the reaction mixture along with other chemicals

B. It cannot be separated out from the reaction mixture of pretreated biomass

C. It can be separated from the reaction mixture of pretreated biomass

D. If it's produced by treating biomass

C 12)​In the single-step catalyst 4\%Ni–30\%W C/AC, what specific role does the

2

Tungsten Carbide W C play?

2

A.​ Promoting the breaking of C-C bonds

B.​ Acting as a porous support for the active metals

C.​ Preventing the formation of methane.

D.​ Increasing the rate of hydrogenation

A 13)​What industrial "pain point" in PET production is avoided when manufacturing

PEF?

A.​ The expensive separation of para-xylene from ortho and meta isomers.

B.​ The high toxicity of the iodine used in polymerization.

C.​ The need for food-grade soybean oil as a primary reactant.

D.​ The inability to use condensation polymerization.

A 3

14)​What is the strategic advantage of using a biphasic system (water + organic solvent)

in CMF production?

A.​ The organic solvent acts as a cooling agent for the mixture

B.​ The CMF produced migrates into the organic phase, lowering its concentration in the

reaction mixture and increasing productivity (similar to reactive distillation).

C.​ The organic solvent dissolves HCl to prevent reactor corrosion.

D.​ The organic phase converts cellulose directly into fructose.

B 15)​Platform molecules are important because:

A. They are derived from fossil reserves

B. They resemble with base chemicals

C. They can be converted into different chemicals due to single functionality

D. They can be converted into different chemicals due to multiple functionalities

D 16)​Platform molecules are important because

A. They help in determining the suitable biomass pretreatment

B. They can be oxygenated to produce chemicals

C. They avoid the production of any intermediates

D. None of the above

A 17)​What is the first step in the production route for fossil-derived dyes?

A.​ Extraction of benzene or other aromatics from petroleum.

B.​ Diazotization of plant-based amines.

C.​ Direct coupling of crude oil with sulfuric acid.

D.​ Solvent extraction of anthocyanins from biomass.

A 4

18)​Syngas is considered a "bridge" to several platform molecules. To produce

Ammonia NH from syngas, which specific component must be isolated or

3

introduced, and which platform molecule is often treated as an "easier to

transport" intermediate?

A.​ Isolate CO ; use Bio-oil as the intermediate

2

B.​ Isolate Hydrogen H ; use Methanol as the intermediate

2

C.​ Introduce Oxygen O ; use Lignin as the intermediate.

2

D.​ Isolate Methane CH ; use Bio-char as the intermediate.

4

B 19)​What technical advantage does Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF) offer?

A.​ Higher transparency than glass bottles.

B.​ Lower gas diffusion (better barrier properties) compared to PET.

C.​ Ability to be produced using free radical polymerization.

D.​ Lower production cost than recycled aluminum.

B 20)​What are the most significant challenges faced by bio-based chemical production

when compared to petrochemical:

●​ bio-based processes have lower yield than petrochemical ones

●​ low atom economy of reductions leads to lower efficiency

●​ reduction processes are quite difficult to scale up and are not as well established as

oxygenations

●​ lower production volume

21)​Which is a polysaccharide?

A. Maltose

B. Glucose

C. Cellulose

D. Lignin

C 5

22)​Why are bio-based dyes and pigments considered more suitable for food and

healthcare applications than fossil-based ones?

A.​ They have much higher stability and a longer shelf life.

B.​ They are significantly cheaper to produce at a large scale.

C.​ They are non-toxic and biodegradable

D.​ They provide better opacity for medicine coatings.

C 23)​The major fraction of sewage solid water is

A. Cellulose

B. Hemicellulose

C. Lignin

D. None of the above

D 24)​Why does polyester fabric dry faster than nylon (polyamide) fabric?

A.​ Polyester is hydrophobic, while polyamides are hydrophilic (water-attracting).

B.​ Polyester has a lower glass transition temperature.

C.​ Nylon molecules are too fragile to withstand heat during drying.

D.​ Polyester contains residual iodine that accelerates evaporation.

A 25)​What could be a solution to separate easily n-Butanol from the reacting mixture

after a fermentation?

A.​ Solvent extraction

B.​ Gas stripping

C.​ Distillation

D.​ Solidification

B 6

26)​What is the primary advantage of using a three-step bio-based process over a

single-step process for the production of ethylene glycol?

A.​ Higher selectivity toward ethylene glycol.

B.​ Lower capital and processing costs.

C.​ Elimination of the need for expensive catalysts.

D.​ Reduced energy consumption during distillation.

A 27)​Which platform molecule is obtained from the fermentation of saccharides:

A. Furfural

B. Levoglucosan

C. Glutamic Acid

D. None of the above

C 28)​Biofine process converts the biomass in a way that

A. Hemicellulose and cellulose are hydrolyzed separately

B. First hemicellulose and then cellulose

C. Hemicellulose and cellulose are hydrolyzed together

D. None of the above

C 29)​Which structural feature makes polyamides tougher and more elastic compared to

polyesters?

A.​ The lack of double bonds in the starting fatty acid chain

B.​ Strong interchain hydrogen bonding between N-H and C=O groups.

C.​ The hydrophobic nature of the amide linkage.

D.​ The inclusion of furan rings in the backbone

B 7

30)​Which byproduct is specifically associated with the acid-catalyzed dehydration of

sugar alcohols, leading to a reduced glycol yield?

A.​ Isosorbide

B.​ Methane

C.​ Furfural

D.​ Methanol

A 31)​What chemical condition must be met for a triglyceride to be officially classified as

a platform molecule?

A.​ It must be mixed with glycerol to increase stability.

B.​ It must be isolated from other similar triglyceride molecules.

C.​ It must be converted into methane gas first.

D.​ It must contain at least five ester groups per molecule.

B 32)​What are the disadvantages of non-sequential treatment of biomass

A. High energy input, simple reaction mixture, complex post processing

B. Low energy input, complex reaction mixture, complex recovery of platform molecules

C. High energy input, complex reaction mixture, difficult isolation of platform molecules.

C 33)​What is the most feasible process for lignin depolymerization?

A. Pyrolysis with low heating rate

B. Catalytic Hydrogenolysis

C. Hydrolysis

D. Catalytic Hydrolysis

B 8

34)​If your plant's objective is to maximize syngas production and minimize the amount

of solid bio-char waste, which operational strategy should you implement?

A.​ Increase the water scrubbing pressure to dissolve more carbon.

B.​ Lower the temperature to ensure the lignin remains in the bio-oil phase.

C.​ Recycle the solid char back into the oxidation reactor with the fresh biomass feed.

D.​ Filter the solids and discard them immediately to prevent reaction inhibition.

C 35)​n-Butanol is a gateway to the rubber and polymer industry. Which conversion

pathway is correct?

A.​ n-Butanol → Ethylene → Polyethylene

B.​ n-Butanol → Butene → Polybutenes

C.​ n-Butanol → Butadiene → Elastomers

D.​ Both B and C are correct.

D 36)​Which statement accurately describes the conventional production path of ethylene

glycol?

A.​ It involves the oxidation of ethylene followed by hydrolysis.

B.​ It is an energy-efficient process with stable raw material costs

C.​ It produces glycerol as a major by-product.

D.​ It uses Nickel catalysts to cleave C-C bonds in crude oil.

A 37)​What is the most effective process for high Guaiacol to Phenol conversion?

A. Hydrolysis

B. Thermal decomposition in the presence of acid

C. Hydrogenolysis

D. Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation

E. Catalytic Deoxygenation

D 9

38)​Which of the following is a characteristic advantage of pigments over dyes

regarding their performance?

A.​ Pigments offer higher durability and sharper color.

B.​ Pigments have a smaller molecular size for better penetration.

C.​ Pigments are more biodegradable and eco-friendly than dyes.

D.​ Pigments are easier to wash out of textiles than dyes.

A 39)​Unlike ethanol, n-Butanol can reach a higher purity through standard separation

because:

A.​ It has a lower boiling point.

B.​ It has no azeotrope with water.

C.​ It is a platform molecule.

D.​ It reacts with water to form a solid precipitate.

B 40)​What is hydrolysis of protein waste used to obtain?

A. Amino acid

B. Alcohols

C. Mixture of Amino Acid

D. Sugars

C 41)​Which starting material is specifically associated with the production of

fossil-derived pigments (like azo pigments)?

A.​ Aniline

B.​ Hemicellulose

C.​ Chlorophyll

D.​ Sulfonic acids

A 10

42)​Polyamide 11 (PA 11) is a widely used biopolymer. What is its primary biological

source?

A.​ Soybean oil

B.​ Sugarcane bagasse

C.​ Castor oil

D.​ HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural)

C 43)​Which property of PEF makes it potentially easier to process than traditional PET?

A.​ A lower glass transition temperature (T )

G

B.​ Higher resistance to all acids and bases.

C.​ The ability to solidify instantly upon contact with air.

D.​ Its higher molecular weight compared to fossil polymers.

A 44)​What is the primary functional difference between gasification and pyrolysis?

A.​ Pyrolysis requires a stoichiometric amount of air, while gasification uses a complete

vacuum.

B.​ Pyrolysis occurs in the absolute or near-absence of oxygen, whereas gasification

involves partial oxidation with a limited supply of air or steam.

C.​ Gasification is purely an endothermic process with no chemical agents, while

pyrolysis uses steam to increase yield.

D.​ Both processes require excess air, but gasification recycles the heat more efficiently.

B 45)​In the conventional production of ethylene glycol, why is the separation of ethylene

glycol from by-products like diethylene glycol considered particularly difficult?

A.​ The molecules have very similar boiling points.

B.​ The by-products are highly reactive and unstable.

C.​ Ethylene glycol forms an inseparable azeotrope with water.

D.​ The catalysts used in oxidation remain trapped in the liquid phase.

A 11

46)​Which of the following strategies is most critical for enhancing the economic

competitiveness and efficiency of bio-based product manufacturing?

A.​ Delaying oxygen removal until the final refining stage to ensure chemical stability.

B.​ Implementing biomass pretreatment and oxygen removal at the earliest possible stage.

C.​ Increasing the water content of biomass to facilitate easier transport through pipelines.

D.​ Focusing exclusively on high-temperature combustion rather than chemical

deoxygenation.

B 47)​In the context of industrial manufacturing and chemical engineering, how is

production capacity primarily increased during the "scale-up" phase?

A.​ By increasing the size of the production plant and its associated equipment.

B.​ By switching from continuous processing to batch processing.

C.​ By decreasing the concentration of reactants to prevent overheating.

D.​ By utilizing a larger number of identical laboratory-scale setups in parallel.

A 48)​In the context of industrial manufacturing and chemical engineering, how is

production capacity primarily increased during the "scale-out" phase?

E.​ By increasing the size of the production plant and its associated equipment.

F.​ By switching from continuous processing to batch processing.

G.​ By decreasing the concentration of reactants to prevent overheating.

H.​ By utilizing a larger number of identical laboratory-scale setups in parallel.

D 49)​What are the primary environmental and operational limitations associated with the

conventional industrial production of adipic acid?

A.​ The process generates high levels of sulfur dioxide and requires minimal external

energy.

B.​ The process produces nitrous oxide (N O) as a byproduct and is characterized by high

2

energy consumption

C.​ The process is limited by the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

D.​ The process requires significant energy

B 12

50)​What are the defining characteristics of Rennovia’s proprietary process for the

production of adipic acid?

A.​ It utilizes homogeneous liquid-phase catalysts and relies on petroleum-based

feedstocks.

B.​ It utilizes heterogeneous catalysts and utilizes renewable biomass as the primary

feedstock.

C.​ It is a strictly biological fermentation process that requires no chemical catalysts.

D.​ It utilizes high-pressure steam and atmospheric nitrogen to synthesize precursors from

coal.

B 51)​Which are the components that typically make up the structure of a heterogeneous

catalyst?

A.​ A homogenous liquid solvent and a dissolved salt.

B.​ A high-pressure gas carrier and a volatile organic compound.

C.​ A solid support material and an active metal.

D.​ A biological enzyme and a synthetic polymer coating.

C 52)​Which of the following sequences correctly describes the chemical transformation

pathway used in the Rennovia process to produce bio-based adipic acid?

A.​ Cellulose → Glucaric acid → Adipic acid

B.​ Glucose → Ethanol → Adipic acid

C.​ Glucose → Glucaric acid → Adipic acid

D.​ Glucose → Lactic acid → Adipic acid

C 53)​To obtain high selectivity in the bio-glycol production process, which is the most

feasible option?

A.​ Three step process

B.​ Two step process

C.​ Single step process

D.​ They have all the same selectivity, the difference is the energy consumption

A 13

54)​In the catalytic process of converting biomass-derived sugars into glycols (such as

ethylene glycol), which group of compounds is typically classified as undesired

byproducts that can degrade yield and complicate purification?

A.​ Glucaric acid and 1,2-propylene glycol

B.​ Fructose, lactic acid, and 5-HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural)

C.​ Hydrogen and methane

D.​ Cellulose and lignin

B 55)​When utilizing a fixed catalyst for the production of bio-based glycols, which

strategy is most effective for increasing the overall product yield?

A.​ Decreasing the purity of the incoming biomass feedstock.

B.​ Implementing process optimization changing feeding rate, pressure, and temperature.

C.​ Using two-step process

D.​ Operative at atmospheric conditions

B 56)​What chemical characteristic must vegetable oils possess to be effectively utilized as

feedstocks for the production of thermosetting biopolymers?

A.​ A high concentration of saturated fatty acids.

B.​ The absence of oxygen atoms in the molecular structure.

C.​ A low molecular weight similar to that of volatile organic compounds.

D.​ The presence of double bonds within the fatty acid chains

D 57)​Which of the following biopolymers