Analysis of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural in Invert Sugar Collected after Clarification in a Sugarcane Ethanol Industry in Brazil

A. P. F. Souza, N. R. Rodrigues, C. Steckelberg

biofuel, contaminant, fermentation inhibition, liquid chromatography.

5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF), a furan derivative, is one of the major contaminants formed during the chemical treatment step in ethanol production. In addition to being toxic to humans, HMF is a fermentation inhibitor that interferes with the production of sugarcane derivatives. Of the different methods that can be used for identification of HMF, high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) is the most used. In this study, we evaluated the presence of HMF in invert sugar collected from fermentation tanks in a Brazilian sugarcane ethanol industry by using a simple and fast sample preparation method. HMF quantification was performed by HPLC-UV at 285 nm. One of the samples was found to contain 118 µg/kg, indicating the need for monitoring of HMF levels for improved process control in the sugarcane ethanol industry.

https://doi.org/10.31871/IJNTR.8.5.18