Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.u. Leuven Research & Development

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ku Leuven R&d

Beau Op De Beeck

Bert Sels

Michiel Julien Dusselier

Bert Frans Sels

The disclosure describes a one-step liquid biphasic catalytic process for converting a carbohydrate-containing feedstock, preferably lignocellulose, to light naphtha (e.g., hexane, pentane, methyl cyclopentane, cyclohexane, etc.) in the presence of an acidic reactive aqueous phase and a redox catalyst in the organic extracting/reaction phase. The process provides a cost-effective route for producing light-naphtha components, in presence or not of deoxygenates. The light naphtha components are useful as feedstock for steam and catalytic cracking to produce value-added platform molecules like ethylene and propylene, as precursor for the synthesis of bioaromatics like benzene and as gasoline fuel feedstock, and as fuel additives (e.g., the concomitantly formed oxygenates) to improve the biological origin of carbon in the fuel.

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Kaggevinne, Belgium

Beau Op De Beeck