Process for making ethers from ethanol
AssigneesWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, The Trustees of Princeton University
InventorsGeorge Huber, Emmanuel Canales, Christos Maravelias, Juan Manuel Restrepo Florez, Javier Chavarrio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for making liquid fuels, especially diesel fuel, from primary alcohols. The process involves subjecting a feedstock comprising primary alcohols to Guerbet coupling to yield a first intermediate mix; subjecting the first intermediate mix to hydrogenolysis to yield a second intermediate mix; and subjecting the second intermediate mix to etherification to yield a liquid fuel suitable for use in internal combustion engines.
Claims18
A process for making liquid fuels, the process comprising:
- (a) subjecting a feedstock comprising primary alcohols to Guerbet coupling to yield a first intermediate mix comprising higher alcohols and byproducts comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of esters, aldehydes, and ketones;
- (b) subjecting at least a portion of the first intermediate mix to hydrogenolysis in the presence of hydrogen provided in excess relative to the byproducts, wherein at least a portion of any esters, aldehydes, and ketones present in the first intermediate mix are converted to their analogous alcohols, to yield a second intermediate mix;
- (c) subjecting at least a portion of the second intermediate mix to etherifcation to yield a liquid fuel.
A process for making diesel fuel from ethanol, the process comprising:
- (a) subjecting a feedstock comprising ethanol to Guerbet coupling to yield a first intermediate mix comprising butanol and byproducts comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of esters, aldehydes, and ketones;
- (b) subjecting at least a portion of the first intermediate mix to hydrogenolysis in the presence of hydrogen provided in excess relative to the byproducts, wherein at least a portion of any esters, aldehydes, and ketones present in the first intermediate mix are converted to their analogous alcohols, to yield a second intermediate mix;
- (c) subjecting at least a portion of the second intermediate mix to etherifcation under conditions wherein at least a portion of alcohols present in the second intermediate mix are converted to ethers to yield diesel fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.