Production of isosorbide from sorbitol: A critical review

Abstract

The problems arising from the use of plastics are one of the biggest challenges facing society. One way to combat them is through the use of isosorbide as a monomer for the production of plastics. Isosorbide can be produced from biomass without the use of petroleum, is non-toxic and give plastics very favourable properties. The production of isosorbide is set by a series of sequential reactions that start with cellulose and culminating in the conversion of sorbitol to isosorbide by dehydration. This requires an acid catalyst for good results; industrially it is homogeneously catalysed in the presence of strong mineral acids. There are two major drawbacks associated with this process: the corrosion problems suffered by the equipment and the cost of separating the catalyst. This work consists of a bibliographic review of the available studies and patents on the dehydration of sorbitol, giving importance to the use of different catalysts to suggest a more beneficial process