Process for the recovery of furfural

1. A process for the extraction of furfural from a composition comprising furfural, water, at least one organic acid and a solvent mixture comprising an aromatic solvent and an oxygenate solvent wherein each of the solvents in the solvent mixture has a boiling point higher than of furfural, said process comprising:

(a) subjecting the composition to a first liquid-liquid separation step to provide a first organic phase comprising the solvent mixture, a portion of the furfural and a portion of the at least one organic acid, and a first aqueous phase comprising the remainder of the furfural, and the remainder of the at least one organic acid;

(b) subjecting the first organic phase to a first distillation step to provide a first top stream comprising furfural and a portion of the at least one organic acid, and a first bottom stream comprising the solvent mixture;

(c) subjecting the first top stream from step (b) to a second liquid-liquid separation step to provide a second top stream enriched with furfural and a portion of the at least one organic acid, and a second bottom stream comprising the remainder of the furfural and a portion of the at least one organic acid; and

(d) subjecting the second top stream from step (c) to a second distillation step to provide a third top stream comprising a furfural-water azeotrope and a portion of the at least one organic acid, and a third bottom stream comprising furfural.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is derived from a product stream of a pentose dehydration step wherein a pentose feed stream is dehydrated.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the pentose feed stream is derived from the hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic biomass.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aromatic solvent is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethylbenzene, 1-ethyl-2,5-dimethylbenzene, 1-ethyl-2,4-dimethylbenzene, 1-ethyl-3,4-dimethylbenzene, 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene, 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene, naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, n- and sec-propyl-methyl benzenes (with the methyl group located in 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-position) n- and sec-butyl benzene, n- and sec-pentyl benzene, or any combination thereof.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygenate solvent is selected from the group consisting of: propyl guaiacol; propyl syringol; guaiacyl propanol, syringyl propanol; nonyl phenol; o-, m-, p-substituted cresols; guaiacol; 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol; eugenol; 2,6-xylenol; sec-butyl phenol and 2,5-xylenol; and any combination thereof.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent mixture comprises a phenolic to aromatic volume ratio of in the range of from 20:80 to 80:20.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent mixture comprises a phenolic to aromatic volume ratio of 30:70.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the second bottom stream of step (c) is subjected to a third distillation step to provide a fourth top stream comprising a furfural-water azeotrope, and a fourth bottom stream comprising water and a portion of the at least one organic acid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the first aqueous phase of step (a) and a portion of the first bottom stream of step (b) are conveyed to a third liquid-liquid separator and subjected to a third liquid-liquid separation step to provide a fifth top stream comprising furfural and the solvent mixture, and an aqueous waste stream comprising water and at least one organic acid.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fifth top stream is recycled to the first distillation step.