High density fuels from isoprene
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorBenjamin G. Harvey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for producing high density fuels from isoprene which can be produced via biosynthetic routes using biomass sugars as feedstock. This allows for the production of isoprene and isoprene-derived fuels from abundant waste materials with the potential to significantly reduce DoD carbon emissions. Embodiments of the invention describe a method for conversion of isoprene to full performance jet and diesel fuels. Isoprene can be selectively oligomerized to generate a distribution of branched chain hydrocarbons. Combination of an oligomerization catalyst with a metathesis catalyst allows for the synthesis of high density cyclic fuels with performance advantages (increased density and volumetric net heat of combustion) over conventional petroleum-based fuels.
Claims27
A jet and diesel fuel blend produced by converting isoprene into fuels, comprising:
- reacting isoprene with at least one Ziegler-Natta type catalyst based on first metal(s) in the presence of at least one co-catalyst to produce an oligomer mixture of dimers, trimers, and tetramers;
- hydrogenating said oligomer mixture under a hydrogen atmosphere with at least one heterogeneous catalyst based on second metal(s) at pressures between about 0.1 atmosphere and about 100 atmosphere and at temperatures ranging from about ambient to about 250° C. to produce a substantially or completely saturated hydrocarbon mixture of dimers, trimers, and tetramers;
- and
- purifying said hydrocarbon mixture by removing said heterogeneous catalyst to produce substantially or completely saturated fuels.
A jet and diesel fuel blend produced by converting isoprene into fuels, comprising:
- reacting isoprene with at least one metallocene type catalyst based on first metal(s) in the presence of at least one co-catalyst to produce an oligomer mixture of dimers, trimers, and tetramers;
- reacting said oligomer mixture with at least one metathesis catalyst based on second metal(s) or to produce cyclic oligomers;
- hydrogenating said oligomer mixture under a hydrogen atmosphere with at least one heterogeneous catalyst based on third metal(s) at pressures between about 0.1 atmosphere and about 100 atmosphere and at temperatures ranging from about ambient to about 250° C. to produce a substantially or purely saturated cyclic hydrocarbon mixture;
- and
- purifying said hydrocarbon mixture by removing said heterogeneous catalyst to produce substantially or purely saturated cyclic fuels.
A jet and diesel fuel blend produced by converting isoprene into fuels, comprising:
- converting isoprene by a Diels Alder cycloaddition reaction either thermally or with at least one Lewis acid catalyst at temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 350° C. and pressures ranging from about 1 atm to 200 atm to produce cyclic dimers;
- hydrogenating said cyclic dimers under a hydrogen atmosphere with at least one heterogeneous catalyst based on first metal(s) at pressures between about 0.1 atmosphere and about 100 atmosphere and at temperatures ranging from about ambient to about 250° C. to produce a substantially or purely saturated cyclic hydrocarbon mixture and purifying said cyclic hydrocarbon mixture;
- or
- dehydrogenating said cyclic dimers with at least one heterogeneous dehydrogenation catalyst under an inert or hydrogen atmosphere to generate a mixture of aromatic compounds, unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbons, and cyclic hydrocarbons;
- and
- purifying said mixture to produce a pure hydrocarbon mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.