Lignin hydrocracking process to produce phenol and benzene
AssigneeHydrocarbon Research, Inc.
InventorsDerk T. A. Huibers, Hugh J. Parkhurst, Jr.
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Abstract
A lignin-containing feed material in particulate form is mixed with a process-derived slurrying oil and fed into an ebullated catalyst bed hydrocracking reactor. Reaction conditions are maintained at 650.degree.-850.degree. F. temperature, 500-2500 psig hydrogen partial pressure and space velocity of 1.0-10 wt. lignin/hr./wt. catalyst. The reaction products are phase separated to recover hydrogen and slurrying oil, and the resulting liquid stream is passed to a thermal hydrodealkylation step. The reacted stream is fractionated to produce phenol and benzene products, along with a heavy alkylated material which is recycled to the hydrodealkylation step to increase the yield of phenol and benzene.
Claims9
A process for hydrocracking lignin-containing feed materials to produce mono-aromatic phenolic products, comprising:
- (a) mixing the lignin-containing feed with sufficient process-derived slurrying oil to provide a pumpable slurry mixture;
- (b) feeding the lignin and oil slurry with hydrogen into a hydrocracking reaction zone containing an ebullated bed of particulate catalyst;
- (c) maintaining said catalytic reaction zone at temperature within range of 650.degree.-850.degree. F., hydrogen partial pressure of 500-2500 psig, and space velocity within the range of 0.1-10 wt./hr./wt. catalyst;
- (d) phase separating the reaction zone effluent stream to recover a hydrogen-containing gas stream and aromatic oils having normal boiling range of 500.degree.-900.degree. F. as said slurrying oil;
- and
- (e) withdrawing a mono-aromatic liquid product stream boiling below about 500.degree. F. and containing at least about 25 W % phenolic product.
A process for hydrocracking of lignin-containing feed materials to produce mono-aromatic phenolic products, comprising:
- (a) mixing the lignin-containing feed with sufficient process-derived slurrying oil to provide a pumpable slurry mixture;
- (b) feeding the lignin and oil slurry with hydrogen into a hydrocracking reaction zone containing an ebullated bed at a particulate catalyst comprising molybdenum oxides on alumina support;
- (c) maintaining said catalytic reaction zone at temperature within range of 700.degree.-825.degree. F., hydrogen partial pressure of 600-2000 psig, and space velocity within the range of 0.3-6 wt. feed/hr./wt. catalyst;
- (d) phase separating the reaction zone effluent stream to recover a hydrogen-containing gas stream and aromatic oils having normal boiling range of 500.degree.-900.degree. F. as said slurrying oil;
- (e) withdrawing a mono-aromatic liquid product stream boiling below about 500.degree. F. and containing at least about 25 W % phenolics and passing it with hydrogen to a hydrodealkylation step;
- and
- (f) fractionating the hydrodealkylated stream to product phenol and benzene products.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.