Thermochemical preparation of monoalcohols from biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302966-B2
Application number	US-201514750581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A process for converting polyhydric alcohols to monoalcohols in a counter current column reactor with a metal based catalyst supported on a porous membrane coated over a tubular system that delivers hydrogen where a hydrocarbon (low polarity) liquid solvent is fed at the bottom of the column reactor and an aqueous liquid having polyhydric alcohols therein is fed into the top of the reactor such that the aqueous liquid flows countercurrent to the low polarity solvent liquid and further wherein the low polarity solvent liquid is less dense than the aqueous liquid such that the two liquids are subject to phase separation. Monoalcohols are formed by hydrogenolysis reactions of polyhydric alcohols on the metal catalyst. Monoalcohols phase separate from the aqueous phase to the hydrocarbon solvent. Monoalcohols are further separated from the organic solvent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for converting polyhydric alcohols to monoalcohols where the process comprises:
a) providing a counter current column reactor with a metal based catalyst supported on a porous membrane coated over a tubular system arranged to receive hydrogen;
b) feeding a low polarity solvent liquid at the bottom of the counter current column reactor;
c) feeding an aqueous liquid containing polyhydric alcohols into the top of the counter current column reactor such that the aqueous liquid flows countercurrent to the low polarity solvent liquid and further wherein the low polarity solvent liquid is less dense than the aqueous liquid such that the two liquids are subject to phase separation;
d) injecting a hydrogen containing gas into the tubular system to disperse through the porous membrane;
e) removing excess hydroxyl groups on the polyhydric alcohols in a hydrogenolysis reaction on the metal based catalyst to form monoalcohols;
f) delivering the monoalcohols from the aqueous liquid to the low polarity solvent; and
g) separating the produced monoalcohols from the low polarity solvent phase.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is operated at an elevated temperature and pressure favoring hydrogenolysis.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the low polarity solvent comprises at least one of hexanes, pentanes and butanes.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the metal based catalyst includes at least one of the following metals: Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, and Re.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous liquid when depleted of polyhydric alcohols is removed from the column reactor and further treated to remove residual organic components such as solvent.

6. The process according to claim 5 wherein unreacted oxygenates remaining in the aqueous liquid are recycled to the counter current column reactor.

7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the low polarity solvent includes gasoline or diesel fraction hydrocarbons.

Assignees

• Phillips 66 Co

Inventors

• Edgar Lotero
• Kristi Fjare A
• Edward Sughrue L

Classifications

• C07C29/172

  with the obtention of a fully saturated alcohol · CPC title

• C07C29/60 Primary

  by elimination of -OH groups, e.g. by dehydration (C07C29/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D63/06

  Tubular membrane modules · CPC title

• B01J19/2425

  in parallel · CPC title

• B01J19/2475

  Membrane reactors · CPC title