Zeolitic catalytic conversion of alcohols to hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11773333-B2
Application number	US-201815908944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 15, 2011
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon, the method comprising contacting said alcohol with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst at a temperature of at least 100° C. and up to 550° C., wherein said alcohol can be produced by a fermentation process, said metal is a positively-charged metal ion, and said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said hydrocarbon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for converting ethanol in an aqueous solution in a concentration of no more than about 20% (vol/vol) to a product comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, the method comprising contacting said ethanol in aqueous solution with a gallium or indium loaded ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst at a temperature of 300° C. to 550° C. and pressure of 1-5 atm to convert said ethanol into said product comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein a combined concentration of alcohols in said aqueous solution is no more than about 20% (vol/vol).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said combined concentration of alcohols is no more than about 10% (vol/vol).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said ethanol is produced by a fermentation process.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said ethanol is a component of a fermentation stream when contacted with said gallium or indium loaded ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said fermentation process produces said ethanol from a biomass source.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said biomass source is comprised of lignocellulosic matter.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein said fermentation process produces said ethanol from a plant-based source of sugars.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said temperature is at least 350° C. and up to 550° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said temperature is at least 400° C. and up to 550° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said aromatic hydrocarbon is a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, wherein said mixture is useful as a fuel or as a blendstock component of a fuel.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds substantially corresponds to a petrochemical fraction.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said petrochemical fraction substantially corresponds to a fuel selected from gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and jet propellant.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said method further comprises distilling said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds to obtain a fraction of said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is integrated with a fermentation process, wherein said fermentation process produces said ethanol as a component of a fermentation stream, and said fermentation stream is contacted with said gallium or indium loaded ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is integrated with a biomass reactor that includes a fermentation process, wherein said fermentation process produces said ethanol as a component of a fermentation stream, and said fermentation stream is contacted with said gallium or indium loaded ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said ethanol is produced from a biomass source.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said biomass source is comprised of lignocellulosic matter.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said biomass source is comprised of starch or sugar.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution of ethanol is passed through a boiler configured to retain solids prior to transfer to the gallium or indium loaded ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Narula Chaitanya K
• Davison Brian H
• Keller Martin

Classifications

• B01J35/45

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• B01J35/56

  Foraminous structures having flow-through passages or channels, e.g. grids or three-dimensional [3D] monoliths · CPC title

• B01J35/40

  characterised by dimensions, e.g. grain size (in a colloidal state B01J35/23; crystallite size B01J35/77) · CPC title

• Y02E50/10

  Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel · CPC title

• C10G3/49 Primary

  containing crystalline aluminosilicates, e.g. molecular sieves · CPC title