Conversion of polyester-containing feedstocks into hydrocarbon products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790138-B2
Application number	US-201514831723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

Provided herein are methods of processing polyester-containing feedstocks to provide hydrocarbon products. Exemplary feedstocks include those containing estolide compounds, which may be processed under thermal and/or catalytic conditions to provide at least one hydrocarbon product.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a feedstock comprising at least one estolide compound; and converting the at least one estolide compound into at least one hydrocarbon product, wherein the at least one estolide compound is selected from compounds of the following formula:

wherein
x is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected from 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20;
y is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20;
n is an integer selected from 0 to 20;
R 1 is an optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and
R 2 is selected from hydrogen and an optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched;
wherein each fatty acid chain residue of said at least one estolide compound is independently optionally substituted.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound comprises deoxygenating the at least one estolide compound.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the deoxygenating comprises decarboxylation.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the deoxygenating comprises thermal decarboxylation.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the deoxygenating comprises decarbonylation.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the deoxygenating comprises hydrodeoxygenation.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound is conducted in the presence of water.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound is conducted in the presence of hydrogen.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound comprises contacting said at least one estolide compound with at least one catalyst.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one catalyst comprises a transition metal.

11. The method according claim 2 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound is conducted at a temperature of at least 100° C.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound is conducted at a temperature of about 200° C. to about 500° C.

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein converting the at least one estolide compound is conducted at a pressure greater than 1 atm absolute.

14. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one hydrocarbon product comprises a C 10 to C 20 hydrocarbon.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one hydrocarbon product comprises a C 17 hydrocarbon and/or a C 18 hydrocarbon.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hydrocarbon product undergoes further processing to provide at least one second hydrocarbon product.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the further processing comprises cracking, hydrogenation and/or isomerization.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one second hydrocarbon product comprises a branched or unbranched C 4 to C 10 hydrocarbon.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the feedstock further comprises at least one additional component.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one additional component comprises one or more of a Group I base oil, a Group II base oil, a Group III base oil, and a polyalphaolefin.

Assignees

• Biosynthetic Technologies Llc
• Boisynthetic Tech Llc

Inventors

• Thompson Travis
• Forest Jeremy

Classifications

• C07C2523/755

  Nickel · CPC title

• C07C5/22

  by isomerisation (with simultaneous hydrogenation C07C5/13; with simultaneous dehydrogenation C07C5/373) · CPC title

• C07C2523/78

  with alkali- or alkaline earth metals or beryllium · CPC title

• C07C2529/14

  Iron group metals or copper · CPC title

• C07C4/02

  by cracking a single hydrocarbon or a mixture of individually defined hydrocarbons or a normally gaseous hydrocarbon fraction · CPC title