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US 2017/0247307 A1Published application
Processes for converting biomass-derived feedstocks to chemicals and liquid fuels
AssigneeVirent, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Held, Elizabeth Woods, Randy Cortright, Matthew Gray
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims24
A method for producing renewable hydrocarbons 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 comprising sugar alcohols and one or more compounds 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 at a temperature of less than 300° C. in a condensed liquid phase reaction or at a temperature of less than 600° C. in a vapor phase reaction a portion of the aqueous feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of (i) a first deoxygenation catalyst comprising palladium, molybdenum, and tin on a zirconia support, and (ii) a second catalyst comprising platinum and rhenium on a zirconia support, 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;
- and
- (c) reacting a portion of the reaction product with a condensation catalyst at a condensation temperature and a condensation pressure to produce C4+ compounds selected from the group consisting of a C4+ alcohol, a C4+ ketone, a C4+ alkane, a C4+ alkene, a C5+ cycloalkane, a C5+ cycloalkene, an aryl, and a fused aryl.
7 more elements
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A method for producing renewable hydrocarbons 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 comprising sugar alcohols and one or more compounds 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 at a temperature of less than 300° C. in a condensed liquid phase reaction or at a temperature of less than 600° C. in a vapor phase reaction a portion of the aqueous feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of (i) a first deoxygenation catalyst comprising palladium, molybdenum, and tin on a zirconia support, and (ii) a second catalyst comprising platinum and rhenium on a zirconia support, 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;
- and
- (d) reacting a portion of the reaction product with a condensation catalyst at a condensation temperature and a condensation pressure to produce C4+ compounds selected from the group consisting of a C4+ alcohol, a C4+ ketone, a C4+ alkane, a C4+ alkene, a C5+ cycloalkane, a C5+ cycloalkene, an aryl, and a fused aryl.
8 more elements
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.