Catalytic method for the preparation of lignin phenol surfactants in organic solvents
AssigneeTexaco Inc.
InventorsDouglas Gene Naae, Lawrence Edward Whittington, Dan Edward Kieke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of making surfactants from lignin is disclosed by reducing lignin in the presence of a metal oxide or iron based catalyst in an organic hydrogen donor solvent to produce lignin phenol and subjecting the lignin phenol to one or a combination of several reactions such as alkoxylation, alkylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkoxysulfation, and sulfomethylation. The lignin surfactants so produced can be employed in a surfactant system to recover oil from underground formations.
Claims18
A method of producing lignin phenol from lignin, the method comprising:
- placing lignin in contact with a hydrogen donor organic solvent;
- converting the lignin into low molecular weight-lignin phenol by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent and a catalyst at a temperature of at least about 200.degree. C. and a pressure of at least about 100 psig;
- wherein said catalyst contains from about 1.0% to about 15% by weight molybdenum oxide and a second component selected from the group consisting of nickel oxide or cobalt oxide, wherein the weight ratio of molybdenum oxide to said second component ranges from about 3:1 to about 5:1, and wherein the molybdenum oxide and second component are supported on a support of alumina;
- and
- recovering the lignin phenols from the reaction mixture.
A method of producing surfactants from lignin, the method comprising:
- placing lignin in contact with a hydrogen donor organic solvent;
- converting the lignin into low molecular weight-lignin phenol by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent and a catalyst at a temperature of at least about 200.degree. C. and a pressure of at least about 100 psig yielding a reaction mixture containing the lignin phenol;
- recovering the lignin phenol from the reaction mixture;
- and
- converting the lignin phenol into lignin surfactants,
- wherein the hydrogen donor organic solvent is tetralin, lignin phenol or biomass oil and
- wherein the catalyst contains from about 1% to about 15% by weight molybdenum oxide and a second component selected from the group consisting of nickel oxide or cobalt oxide on a support selected from the group consisting of neutral alumina, basic alumina and acidic alumina.
A method of producing surfactants from lignin, the method comprising:
- placing lignin in contact with a hydrogen donor organic solvent;
- converting the lignin into low molecular weight-lignin phenol by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent and a catalyst at a temperature of at least about 200.degree. C. and a pressure of at least 100 psig yielding a reaction mixture containing the lignin phenol;
- recovering the lignin phenol from the reaction mixture;
- and
- converting the lignin phenol into lignin surfactants
- wherein the catalyst is an iron based catalyst comprising:
- a) an iron sulfide;
- and b) at least one other sulfide of a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, silver tin, chromium, cobalt, nickel, zinc and molybdenum.
A method of producing sulfonated lignin phenol surfactants from lignin, the method comprising:
- placing the lignin in contact with a hydrogen donor organic solvent;
- converting the lignin into low molecular weight-lignin phenol at a yield of at least 60% by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent and a catalyst, at a temperature of at least about 200.degree. C. and a pressure of at least about 100 psig;
- recovering the oil soluble lignin phenols from the reaction mixture;
- and
- converting the lignin phenols into sulfonated lignin phenol surfactants by sulfonation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.