Catalytic conversion of alcohols to hydrocarbons with low benzene content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434658-B2
Application number	US-201313787112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2013
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon fraction having a lowered benzene content, the method comprising: converting said alcohol to a hydrocarbon fraction by contacting said alcohol, under conditions suitable for converting said alcohol to said hydrocarbon fraction, with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said hydrocarbon fraction, and contacting said hydrocarbon fraction with a benzene alkylation catalyst, under conditions suitable for alkylating benzene, to form alkylated benzene product in said hydrocarbon fraction. Also described is a catalyst composition useful in the method, comprising a mixture of (i) a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said hydrocarbon, and (ii) a benzene alkylation catalyst, in which (i) and (ii) may be in a mixed or separated state. A reactor for housing the catalyst and conducting the reaction is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon fraction having a lowered benzene content, the method comprising: converting said alcohol to an initial hydrocarbon fraction containing a blend of alkanes having at least four carbon atoms and benzene by contacting said alcohol, under conditions suitable for converting said alcohol to said initial hydrocarbon fraction, with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said initial hydrocarbon fraction, and contacting said initial hydrocarbon fraction with a benzene alkylation catalyst, under conditions that form a further processed hydrocarbon fraction containing alkylated benzene product in addition to said blend of alkanes having at least four carbon atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is contacted with a mixture comprising said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst and said benzene alkylation catalyst.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in a first step, said alcohol is contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst to form said initial hydrocarbon fraction containing a blend of alkanes having at least four carbon atoms and benzene, and in a second step, said initial hydrocarbon fraction is contacted with said benzene alkylation catalyst to form said further processed hydrocarbon fraction containing alkylated benzene product in addition to said blend of alkanes having at least four carbon atoms, wherein said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst and said benzene alkylation catalyst are separate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said zeolite is comprised of a pentasil zeolite.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said pentasil zeolite is comprised of ZSM5.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said metal is selected from alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, copper, iron, vanadium, zinc, titanium, cadmium, gallium, indium, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said metal is selected from copper, iron, and vanadium.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said benzene alkylation catalyst is a zeolite catalyst active for alkylating benzene.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said benzene alkylation catalyst is selected from zeolite Y, mordenite, and MCM catalysts active for alkylating benzene.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon fraction, after being processed with said benzene alkylation catalyst, has no more than 0.62% benzene by volume of the hydrocarbon fraction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is comprised of ethanol.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is a component of an aqueous solution in a concentration of no more than about 20%.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said alcohol is a component of a fermentation stream when contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon fraction is useful as a fuel or as a blendstock component of a fuel.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is integrated with a fermentation process, wherein said fermentation process produces said alcohol as a component of a fermentation stream, and said fermentation stream is contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst.

16. 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 alcohol as a component of a fermentation stream, and said fermentation stream is contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Narula Chaitanya K
• Davison Brian H
• Keller Martin

Classifications

• B01J2229/186

  not in framework positions · CPC title

• C07C2529/70

  of types characterised by their specific structure not provided for in groups C07C2529/08 - C07C2529/65 · CPC title

• Y02P20/52

  using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts · CPC title

• B01J29/76

  Iron group metals or copper · CPC title

• B01J29/7049

  containing rare earth elements, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, zinc, cadmium, mercury, gallium, indium, thallium, tin or lead · CPC title