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US 2010/0160691 A1Published application
Methods for Converting Glycerol to Propanol
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsMaureen Bricker, Laura E. Leonard, Todd M. Kruse, James G. Vassilakis, Simon Bare
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrogenolysis method for converting glycerol into propylene glycol by directing a glycerol containing feed having a pH of about 10 or more to a reaction section including at least one glycerol conversion catalyst and operating at glycerol conversions conditions to form a reaction product including propylene glycol.
Claims22
A method for converting glycerol into propylene glycol comprising the steps of:
- directing a glycerol feed to a feed blending section;
- combining a base with the glycerol feed in the feed blending section to form a basic glycerol containing feed stream having a pH of about 10 or greater;
- directing the basic glycerol containing feed stream and a hydrogen containing gas to a hydrogenolysis reaction section including at least one reactor and into contact with a glycerol conversion catalyst loaded in the at least one reactor wherein the reactor operates at glycerol conversion conditions sufficient to form a reaction section product including propylene glycol;
- directing the reaction section product including propylene glycol to a separator to form a hydrogen rich separator off gas and a separator liquid product including propylene glycol;
- and
- directing the separator liquid product to purification section and processing the separator liquid in the liquid product purification section by the further steps of:
- i. directing the separator liquid product to a unit operation to remove water and C1-C3 alcohols from the neutralized separator liquid and to form an essentially water free product including propylene glycol and precipitated salts;
- and
- ii. directing the essentially water free product including propylene glycol and precipitated salts to a solid/liquid separator to form an essentially solids free product including propylene glycol.
6 more elements
A method for converting glycerol into propylene glycol comprising the steps of:
- directing a combined feed including hydrogen and a basic glycerol feed that is adjusted to a pH of from about 10 to about 12 with an aqueous base to a hydrogenolysis reactor including at least one catalyst selected from the group consisting of a Ni/Re catalyst and a Co/Pd/Re catalyst, wherein the reactor operates at glycerol conversion conditions sufficient to form a reaction section product including propylene glycol;
- and
- directing the reaction section product including propylene glycol to a separator to form a hydrogen rich separator off gas and a separator liquid product including propylene glycol wherein the concentration of the aqueous base is increased to maintain or increase glycol conversion.
A method for converting glycerol into propylene glycol comprising the steps of:
- directing a combined feed including hydrogen and a basic glycerol feed having a pH of from about 10 to about 12 to a hydrogenolysis reactor including a catalyst bed having at least one catalyst selected from the group consisting of a Ni/Re catalyst and a Co/Pd/Re catalyst, wherein the reactor operates at glycerol conversion conditions sufficient to form a reaction section product including propylene glycol;
- and
- directing the reaction section product including propylene glycol to a separator to form a hydrogen rich separator off gas and a separator liquid product including propylene glycol wherein the basic glycerol feed includes at least 50 wt % glycerol and wherein the reactor pressure is controlled at conditions of pressure, temperature and LHSV sufficient to produce a reaction section product having less than about 1.0 butanediol C mole % selectivity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.