Catalytic valorisation of various paper wastes into levulinic acid, hydroxymethylfurfural, and furfural: Influence of feedstock properties and ferric chloride

[Display omitted] •Paper wastes possess distinct characteristics yet viable for platform chemical production.•Cellulose content and crystallinity highly influence the levulinic acid yield.•Thermally stable cellulosic fibres in papers require higher energy for hydrolysis.•Alkaline mineral fillers in papers adversely affect the acid-catalysed conversion.•FeCl3 is a safe and efficient catalyst for valorising lignocellulosic paper wastes. Lignocellulosic paper waste constitutes a major waste stream globally, which should be valorised for chemical production. However, paper properties (e.g., feedstock composition, cellulosic crystallinity, and thermal stability/degradability) vary with raw materials and pulping processes. This study investigated levulinic acid (LA), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and furfural production by H2SO4 and FeCl3 catalysed conversion of nine types of paper wastes in a green solvent system (1:1 γ‐valerolactone/water). At 160–180 °C for 1–20 min, ∼23–27 wt% LA yield was achieved from sanitary papers, tracing/parchment paper, and paper food box mainly containing crystalline cellulose, while a lower LA yield (∼10–20 wt%) was obtained from other paper wastes with high contents of ash and lignin. A higher selectivity towards HMF (∼12 mol%) was achieved in the presence of FeCl3. A furfural yield of ∼ 4–7.5 wt% was also obtained from the hemicellulose content. This study elucidates crucial factors and desirable characteristics of paper waste for catalytic valorisation.