Low energy production of alcohols and gasoline blends with mixed higher alcohols

Abstract

A method of producing a mixed higher alcohol blend is disclosed which may be self contained both composition-wise with regard to the specific alcohols as well as energy-wise. In one embodiment, the energy created during an exothermic Fischer-Tropsch reaction is utilized to drive downstream distillation column reboilers in a cascade mechanism, thereby providing a low energy process. In one embodiment, an extraction process is performed utilizing a suitable solvent and the co-solvent capabilities of the C4+ higher alcohols already present in the aqueous alcohol stream provided to the extraction column.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.