# US 8,772,558 B2 · Methods and apparatuses for producing aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,772,558 B2 - Document ID: US8772558B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/191,213 - Filed: 2011-07-26 - Published: 2013-01-31 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-26 - Assignees: Uop LLC - Applicants: John Qianjun Chen - Inventors: John Qianjun Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772558B2 ## CPC - B01D 3/009: {in combination with chemical reactions} - C10G 1/02: by distillation - C10G 1/065: {in the presence of a solvent} - C10G 1/083: {in the presence of a solvent} - C10G 1/086: {Characterised by the catalyst used} - C10G 2300/1014: of vegetal origin - C10G 2300/4006: Temperature - C10G 2300/4081: Recycling aspects - C10G 2300/44: Solvents - C10G 2400/30: Aromatics - Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent are provided herein. The method comprises the step of rapidly heating a biomass-based feedstock to a first predetermined temperature of from about 300 to about 650° C. in the presence of a catalyst, hydrogen, and an organic solvent within a time period of about 20 minutes or less to form the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent. The biomass-based feedstock comprises lignocellulosic material, lignin, or a combination thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon-rich effluent, the method comprising the step of: heating a biomass-based feedstock to a first predetermined temperature of from about 300 to about 650° C. in the presence of a catalyst, hydrogen, and an organic solvent within a time period of about 1 second to about 5 minutes to form the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent, wherein the biomass-based feedstock comprises lignocellulosic material, lignin, or a combination thereof; and extracting aromatic hydrocarbons from the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent to form the aromatic hydrocarbon-rich effluent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the catalyst, wherein a weight ratio of the catalyst to the biomass-based feedstock is from about 1:200 to about 1:1. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in a reactor, and the method further comprises the step of: preheating the biomass-based feedstock to a second predetermined temperature of from about 50 to about 300° C. before heating the biomass-based feedstock. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in a reactor, and the method further comprises the step of: combining the biomass-based feedstock with the catalyst, hydrogen, at least a first portion the organic solvent, or a combination thereof to form a biomass-based mixture, wherein the step of combining is performed before the step of heating. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: forming a heated stream comprising the catalyst, hydrogen, at least a second portion of the organic solvent, an inert inorganic solid particulate heat carrier, or a combination thereof; and contacting the biomass-based mixture with the heated stream to heat the biomass-based feedstock to the first predetermined temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: preheating the biomass-based mixture to a second predetermined temperature of from about 50 to about 300° C., and wherein the step of introducing the biomass-based mixture includes introducing the biomass-based mixture at the second predetermined temperature to the reactor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: forming a heated stream comprising the catalyst, hydrogen, the organic solvent, an inert inorganic solid particulate heat carrier, or a combination thereof; and contacting the biomass-based feedstock with the heated stream to heat the biomass-based feedstock to the first predetermined temperature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in a reactor that is operating at a pressure of from about 3,000 to about 13,800 kPa. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the catalyst that comprises a material selected from the group consisting of transition metals, transition metal sulfides, nitrides, carbides, noble metals, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the catalyst that comprises a metal disposed on a support material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the catalyst that comprises the metal that is selected from the group consisting of nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, chromium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, rhenium, osmium, ruthenium, iridium, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the catalyst that comprises the support material that is selected from the group consisting of alumina, alumina inorganic oxides, boron nitrides, silica, titania, zirconia, carbon, silicon carbide, silica-alumina, magnesia, a molecular sieve, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the catalyst that comprises the molecular sieve that is selected from the group consisting of beta zeolite, Y-zeolite, MFI type zeolites, MEL type zeolites, mordenite, SM3, faujasite, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating includes heating the biomass-based feedstock in the presence of the organic solvent that comprises aromatic hydrocarbons. ### Claim 15 A method for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon-rich effluent, the method comprising the steps of: heating a first quantity of a biomass-based feedstock in a reactor to a first predetermined temperature of from about 300 to about 600° C. in the presence of a catalyst, hydrogen, and an organic solvent within a first time period of about 1 second to about 5 minutes to form a first quantity of the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent, wherein the biomass-based feedstock comprises lignocellulosic material, lignin, or a combination thereof; removing the first quantity of the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent from the reactor; recycling at least a portion of the first quantity of the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent back to the reactor; heating a second quantity of the biomass-based feedstock in the reactor to the first predetermined temperature in the presence of the catalyst, hydrogen, and the at least the portion of the first quantity of the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent within a second time period of about 1 second to about 5 minutes to form a second quantity of the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent; and extracting aromatic hydrocarbons from the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent to form the aromatic hydrocarbon-rich effluent after the step of removing and prior to the step of recycling. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent contains hydrogen, and the method further comprises the step of recycling hydrogen from the aromatic hydrocarbon-containing effluent back to the reactor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: introducing a heated stream to the reactor, wherein the heated stream comprises the catalyst, hydrogen, at least a portion of the organic solvent, an inert inorganic solid particulate heat carrier, or a combination thereof; and contacting the first quantity of the biomass-based feedstock with the heated stream to heat the first quantity of the biomass-based feedstock to the first predetermined temperature.