Process for the preparation of monoethylene glycol

1. A process for the preparation of monoethylene glycol from sucrose comprising the steps of:

i) hydrolysing sucrose to form a reaction product stream comprising glucose and fructose;

ii) separating the reaction product stream comprising glucose and fructose into a fructose or fructose derivative rich stream and a glucose rich stream; and

iii) contacting the glucose rich stream with hydrogen in a reactor in the presence of a solvent and a catalyst system with catalytic hydrogenation abilities to produce a product stream comprising monoethylene glycol.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fructose rich stream resulting from step ii) is subjected to an isomerisation reaction to provide a further stream comprising fructose and glucose and this further stream is recycled and combined with the reaction product stream comprising glucose and fructose formed in step i).

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fructose rich stream is used, optionally after further purification, as a sweetener in food or drink.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fructose rich stream undergoes reaction to transform at least a portion of the fructose therein to hydroxymethylfufural or an alkoxy analogue thereof.

5. A process according to claim 4 , wherein the hydroxymethylfurfural is then converted to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid.

6. A process according to claim 5 , wherein the 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and the monoethylene glycol are used to produce polyethylene furanoate.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fructose rich stream undergoes reaction to transform at least a portion of the fructose therein to levulinic acid, optionally via conversion to hydroxymethylfurfural.

8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the separation in step ii) is carried out by first converting fructose to a fructose derivative using conditions under which at least 50 wt % of the glucose does not react and then by separating the thus-formed reaction product stream into a glucose rich stream and a fructose derivative rich stream.

9. A process for the conversion of sucrose into fructose and/or fructose derivatives comprising the steps of:

i) hydrolysing sucrose to form a reaction product stream comprising glucose and fructose;

ii) separating the reaction product stream comprising glucose and fructose into a fructose or fructose derivative rich stream and a glucose rich stream; and

iii) subjecting the glucose rich stream to an isomerisation reaction to provide a further stream comprising fructose and glucose and recycling this further stream is recycled and combined with the reaction product stream comprising glucose and fructose formed in step i).

10. A process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the fructose rich stream undergoes reaction to transform at least a portion of the fructose therein to hydroxymethylfufural or an alkoxy analogue thereof.