Catalytic biomass conversion methods, catalysts, and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016289150-A1
Application number	US-201415032218-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2014
Priority date	Oct 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein are processes for one-step delignification and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin fraction a biomass feedstock. The lignin feedstock is derived from by-products of paper production and biorefineries. Additionally described is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function. Finally, also described herein is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function.

First claim

1 - 52 . (canceled)

53 . A delignification process comprising treating biomass with a selective hydrodeoxygenation catalyst to form 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol, 2,6-dimethoxy-4-propylphenol, or mixtures thereof.

54 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the process is performed in a single step.

55 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the process is performed in a single step and the hydrodeoxygenation catalyst comprises palladium and zinc.

56 . The process of claim 55 , wherein the hydrodeoxygenation catalyst comprises zinc and palladium on carbon.

57 . The process of claim 56 , wherein the palladium on carbon is a nanoparticulate.

58 . The process of claim 56 , wherein the biomass is wood biomass.

59 . The process of claim 58 , wherein a single product stream is created in the liquid phase comprising 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol, 2,6-dimethoxy-4-propylphenol, or mixtures thereof.

60 . The process of claim 59 , wherein the percentage by mass of 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol in the single product stream is between about 17% and about 100%.

61 . The process of claim 53 , wherein cellulose remaining in the biomass after processing is suitable for further processing into liquid fuels or other chemicals.

62 . A process for preparing liquid transportation fuels comprising treating biomass with a selective hydrodeoxygenation catalyst to form 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol, 2,6-dimethoxy-4-propylphenol, or mixtures thereof to form a single product liquid stream, and catalytically hydrogenating the liquid stream to prepare liquid transportation fuels.

63 . The process of claim 62 , wherein propylbenzene is a liquid transportation fuel.

64 . The process of claim 63 , wherein the catalyst for hydrogenation is PtMo.

65 . The process of claim 62 , wherein vapor-phase products from the treatment of a selective hydrodeoxygenation catalyst are catalytically dehydrogenated to form liquid transportation fuels.

66 . The process of claim 64 , wherein the PtMo catalyst is supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

67 . The process of claim 62 , wherein the catalyst is a bimetallic catalyst wherein one metal is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ni, Ru, Rh, Co, and Fe and the other metal is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Nb, Cr, Mo, W, Re, Fe, and Cu and wherein the catalyst is supported selected from the group consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silica-aluminate, and a zeolite.

68 . The process of claim 62 , wherein the catalytic dehydrogenation is done in a suitable high-pressure reactor.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Delgass William Nicholas
• Agrawal Rakesh
• Ribeiro Fabio Henrique
• Saha Basudeb
• Yohe Sara Lynn
• Abu-Omar Mahdi M
• Parsell Trenton
• Dietrich Paul James
• Klein Ian Michael

Classifications

• C07D307/48

  Furfural · CPC title

• D21C3/222

  Use of compounds accelerating the pulping processes · CPC title

• C07C2521/18

  Carbon · CPC title

• B01J23/60

  with zinc, cadmium or mercury · CPC title

• C07G1/00

  Low-molecular-weight derivatives of lignin (high-molecular-weight derivatives of lignin {C08H6/00}) · CPC title