# US 2013/0158299 A1 · Production of alcohols having three carbon atoms from carbonaceous materials

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- Number: US 2013/0158299 A1
- Document ID: US20130158299A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/568,582
- Filed: 2012-08-07
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-14
- Assignees: Enerkem, Inc.
- Inventors: Anthony S. Carbone; Stephane Marie-Rose; Esteban Chornet
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130158299A1

## CPC

- C07C 29/16: by oxo-reaction combined with reduction
- C01B 3/32: by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide or air
- C07C 29/141: with hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases
- C07C 29/1518: {one step being the formation of initial mixture of carbon oxides and hydrogen for synthesis}
- C07C 41/09: by dehydration of compounds containing hydroxy groups
- C10J 3/463: {in stationary fluidised beds}
- C01B 2203/02: Processes for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
- C01B 2203/0415: Purification by absorption in liquids
- C01B 2203/0465: Composition of the impurity
- C01B 2203/0485: the impurity being a sulfur compound
- C01B 2203/061: Methanol production
- C07C 29/04: by hydration of carbon-to-carbon double bonds
- C10J 2300/0916: Biomass
- C10J 2300/0956: Air or oxygen enriched air
- C10J 2300/0976: as steam
- C10J 2300/0993: Inert particles, e.g. as heat exchange medium in a fluidized or moving bed, heat carriers, sand
- C10J 2300/1665: to alcohols, e.g. methanol or ethanol
- C10K 1/003: {of acid contaminants, e.g. acid gas removal}
- C10K 3/04: reducing the carbon monoxide content {, e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]}
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin
- Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock
- Y02P 30/40: Ethylene production
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C10J: PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES (synthesis gas from liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons C01B; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295); CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES
- C10K: PURIFYING OR MODIFYING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A process for producing alcohols having three carbon atoms from carbonaceous materials such as biomass. The carbonaceous material, such as biomass, is gasified to produce synthesis gas. The synthesis gas then is subjected to a plurality of reactions to produce alcohols such as n-propanol and isopropanol.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing at least one alcohol, said at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms, from a carbonaceous material, comprising:
(a) gasifying said carbonaceous material to provide a crude synthesis gas;
(b) purifying the crude synthesis gas to provide a purified synthesis gas;
(c) reacting at least a portion of said carbon monoxide with at least a portion of said hydrogen from said purified synthesis gas to provide methanol;
(d) reacting said methanol under conditions to provide a product comprising dimethyl ether;
(e) reacting said dimethyl ether under conditions to provide ethylene;
(f) reacting said ethylene with synthesis gas in a hydroformylation reactor to provide a product comprising at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms; and
(g) recovering said at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms from said product of step (f).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein, in step (c), carbon monoxide and hydrogen from a first portion of said purified synthesis gas are reacted to provide methanol, and in step (f), said ethylene is reacted with a second portion of said purified synthesis gas in a hydroformylation reactor to provide a product comprising at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein, in step (c), essentially all of the carbon monoxide and essentially all of the hydrogen of said purified synthesis gas from step (b) are reacted to provide methanol, and in step (f), said ethylene is reacted with a synthesis gas, other than said purified synthesis gas of step (b), in a hydroformylation reactor to provide a product comprising at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3 wherein said synthesis gas of step (f) is produced by (i) subjecting natural gas to steam reforming to provide a crude synthesis gas, and (ii) purifying the crude synthesis gas of step (i) to provide a purified synthesis gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said product of step (f) further comprises propionaldehyde and wherein, prior to step (g), said propionaldehyde is hydrogenated to provide additional said at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 wherein said at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms comprises n-propanol.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6 wherein said at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms further comprises isopropanol.