Stabilization and hydrogenation methods for microbial-derived olefins

A hydrogenated composition derived from a microbial derived olefin composition, the hydrogenated composition produced by a method comprising:

• (a) separating immiscible olefin from a mixture comprising an aqueous solution, microbial cells and immiscible olefin, thereby forming a crude olefin composition;
• (b) purifying the crude olefin composition thereby forming a purified olefin composition;
• (c) adding a phenolic antioxidant to the purified olefin composition to form a stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition, wherein the phenolic antioxidant is a phenol derivative containing an unfused phenyl ring with one or more hydroxyl substituents, and is present in an amount that is at least 0.0001% by weight of stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition;
• and
• (d) reacting the stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst at a temperature at or greater than about 20° C. such that hydrogen saturates at least one double bond in the olefin, thereby producing the hydrogenated composition.

A hydrogenated composition derived from a microbial-derived olefin composition, the hydrogenated composition produced by a method comprising:

• reacting a stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, wherein the stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition comprises:
• (a) farnesene in an amount that is at least equal to or greater than about 90% by weight of the stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition;
• (b) bisabolene in an amount that is equal to or greater than about 0.1% by weight of the stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition;
• (c) zingibrene in an amount that is equal to or greater than about 0.1% by weight of the stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition;
• and
• (d) a phenolic antioxidant, wherein the phenolic antioxidant is a phenol derivative containing an unfused phenyl ring with one or more hydroxyl substituents in an amount that is at least about 0.005% by weight of the stabilized purified microbial-derived olefin composition,
• wherein the hydrogenation reaction saturates at least one double bond in farnesene.