Butanol purification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809520-B2
Application number	US-201314416510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2013
Priority date	Jul 26, 2012
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Provided are methods for removing one or more components from a butanol based composition. The methods comprise providing a butanol based composition comprising one or more components, targeting at least one component or a combination thereof for reduction, and processing said butanol based composition such that the at least one targeted component is substantially removed. The butanol based composition can, for example, be bio-produced.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for removing isobutyric acid from a butanol based composition, the method comprising:
(a) providing a butanol based composition comprising isobutyric acid;
(b) contacting the butanol based composition with an excess level of a base;
(c) passing the composition through a filtration system; and
(d) passing the filtered composition through a distillation system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium phosphate, sodium ethoxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium phosphate, magnesium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the base is calcium oxide.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the butanol based composition with a base results in precipitation of a salt.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filtration system comprises equipment selected from the group consisting of a funnel with a porous barrier, a sinter funnel, a vacuum filtration unit, a centrifugation unit, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distillation system comprises a distillation unit.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the distillation unit is a batch distillation unit or a continuous distillation unit.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the distillation unit comprises a distillation column, a heating unit, and a condenser.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more fractions comprising purified butanol are removed from the distillation system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the butanol based composition is produced by a genetically modified organism.

Assignees

• Butamax Advanced Biofuels Llc

Inventors

• Cheng Cecilia
• Dobson Ian David
• Hogben Andrew John
• Lucy Andrew Richard
• Sunley John Glenn
• Bolton Leslie William

Classifications

• C10L1/18

  containing oxygen · CPC title

• C10L1/1824

  mono-hydroxy · CPC title

• C10L2200/0423

  Gasoline · CPC title

• C10L1/02

  essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only · CPC title

• C10L2200/0446

  Diesel · CPC title