Reduced to one production step: This most probably opens another avenue for competitive production of 1,5-pentanediol (PDO, or pentane-1,5-diol),  which sells at ±US$9,000/t. The conventional pathway to PDO from furfural was via multi-step hydrogenation (via THFA/Methyl-THF).

Pentane-1,5-diol is a valuable intermediate for the chemical industry. It finds applications in a variety of polymeric systems and is also used in the synthesis of specialty chemicals such as thermoplastic polyurethanes and polyester resins. Its most important uses include plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, crop protection agents, cosmetics as well as and inks and coatings. One of the benefits of Pentane-1,5-diol (PDO) is that it was found to be safe and more effective than several other diols with respect to pharmaceutical and cosmetic properties (www.basf.com).

Furfural is a green chemical building block: http://j.mp/GQHGob.