Processes for Converting Biomass-Derived Feedstocks to Chemicals and Liquid Fuels
AssigneeVirent, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Held, Elizabeth Woods, Randy Cortright, Matthew Gray
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Abstract
The present invention provides processes, methods, and systems for converting biomass-derived feedstocks to liquid fuels and chemicals. The method generally includes the reaction of a hydrolysate from a biomass deconstruction process with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a reaction product comprising one of more oxygenated compounds. The process also includes reacting the reaction product with a condensation catalyst to produce C4+ compounds useful as fuels and chemicals.
Claims20
A method for producing oxygenated compounds from a biomass-derived feedstock, the method comprising:
- (a) providing an aqueous feedstock, the aqueous feedstock comprising:
- (i) water;
- (ii) greater than 20 wt % of a plurality of first oxygenated hydrocarbons, the first oxygenated hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof;
- (iii) between 1 wt % and 40 wt % of a plurality of second oxygenated hydrocarbons, the second oxygenated hydrocarbon comprising sugar degradation products;
- and
- (iv) ash, wherein the ash comprises less than 75 ppm sulfur and less than 30 ppm phosphorous;
- and
- (b) reacting a portion of the aqueous feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, the catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII metal, to produce a reaction product comprising one or more oxygenated compounds selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, a ketone, a cyclic ether, a carboxylic acid, an aldehyde, a diol, and a polyol.
A method for producing oxygenated compounds from a biomass-derived feedstock, the method comprising:
- (a) deconstructing biomass with a deconstruction method to produce an intermediate feedstock, the intermediate feedstock comprising oxygenated hydrocarbons, ash, extractives, lignin, lignin derivatives, and solids;
- (b) treating the intermediate feedstock with a treatment method to produce an aqueous feedstock, the aqueous feedstock comprising:
- (i) water;
- (ii) greater than 20 wt % of a plurality of first oxygenated hydrocarbons, the first oxygenated hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof;
- (iii) between 1 wt % and 40 wt % of a plurality of second oxygenated hydrocarbons, the second oxygenated hydrocarbons comprising sugar degradation products;
- and
- (iv) ash, wherein the ash comprises less than 75 ppm sulfur and less than 30 ppm phosphorous;
- and
- (c) reacting a portion of the aqueous feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, the catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII metal, to produce one or more oxygenated compounds selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, a ketone, a cyclic ether, a carboxylic acid, an aldehyde, a diol, and a polyol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.