Other

Cps Biofuels, Inc

Maverick Biofeuls, Inc

David Bradin

Guerry Leonard Grune

Marty Lynn Trivette

Samuel Perry Yenne

Jeffrey Harrison

Eric Cumming

Martin Trivette

Alternative gasoline, diesel fuel, marine diesel fuel, jet fuel, and flexible fuel compositions are disclosed. The compositions include an alcohol and/or a glycerol ether or mixture of glycerol ethers, which can be derived from renewable resources. When combined with gasoline/ethanol blends, glycerol ethers can reduce the vapor pressure of ethanol and increase fuel economy. Added to diesel fuel/alcohol blends, glycerol ethers improve the cetane value of the blends. In jet fuel, glycerol ethers can replace all or part of conventional deicing additives, lowering skin toxicity, and glycerol ethers ability to reduce particulate emissions can lower the appearance of contrails. Used in marine diesel, the reduction in particulate emissions can be environmentally significant. In another embodiment, the alternative compositions comprise gasoline, ethanol, and n-butanol, and in one aspect, the ethanol and/or n-butanol can be derived from renewable resources. Fuel additive compositions, including glycerol ethers and hydrocarbons and/or alcohols, are also disclosed.

Alternative fuel and fuel additive compositions

A combined anaerobic digester system and gas-to-liquid system is disclosed. The anaerobic digester requires heat, and produces methane. The gas-to-liquid system produces heat, and converts methane to higher-value products, including methanol and formaldehyde. As such, the combination of the two systems results in significant savings in terms of capital and operating expenses. A process for producing bio-formaldehyde and bio-formalin from biogas is also disclosed.

Combined anaerobic digester and GTL system and method of use thereof

Processes for producing jet fuel are disclosed. In one embodiment, syngas is converted to methanol, and a first portion of the methanol is converted to olefins using a methanol-to-olefins catalyst. The olefins are then oligomerized under conditions that provide olefins in the jet fuel range. The olefins can then optionally be isomerized and/or hydrotreated. A second portion of the methanol is converted to dimethyl ether, which is then reacted over a catalyst to form jet fuel-range hydrocarbons and aromatics. All or part of the two separate product streams can be combined, to provide jet fuel components which include isoparaffins and aromatics in the jet fuel range. The syngas is preferably derived from biomass or another renewable carbon-containing feedstock, thereby providing a biorefining process for the production of renewable jet fuel. In another embodiment, the process starts with methanol, rather than producing the methanol from syngas.

Process for producing renewable jet fuel compositions

The present invention provides a process for producing jet fuel components from syngas. Syngas is converted to methanol and ethanol, and, optionally, higher alcohols. The methanol is separated from the ethanol and higher alcohols, and converted to Cparaffins and aromatics via a dimethyl ether intermediate. The dimethyl ether is reacted over a catalyst to form jet fuel range hydrocarbons and aromatics. The ethanol and higher alcohols are dehydrated to form olefins, which are then oligomerized and, optionally, hydrogenated and/or isomerized, to form products in the jet fuel range. All or part of the two separate product streams can be combined, to provide jet fuel components which include aromatics and paraffins, ideally isoparaffins, in the jet fuel range. The syngas is in one embodiment derived from biomass or another renewable carbon-containing feedstock, thereby providing a biorefining process for producing renewable jet fuel.

Processes for forming low molecular weight (C) olefins from renewable resources, and polyolefins formed from the olefins, are disclosed. The Colefins are produced by first converting a renewable resource, capable of being converted to syngas, to syngas. The syngas is converted, using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using a catalyst with low chain growth probabilities, to a composition comprising Colefins, which are then isolated to form a Colefin-rich stream. Propylene can be isolated from this stream, and the ethylene and butylene can be subjected to olefin metathesis to produce additional propylene. The propylene, or other olefins, can be subjected to a variety of polymerization conditions and used in a variety of products, to replace the propylene, and polypropylene, produced from crude oil. Thus, the olefins, and polymers, copolymer and terpolymers thereof, can help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign crude oil.

Production of polypropylene from renewable resources

Compositions and methods for forming hydrocarbon products from triglycerides are described. In one aspect, the methods involve the thermal decomposition of fatty acids, which can be derived from the hydrolysis of triglycerides. The thermal decomposition products can be combined with low molecular weight olefins, such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis products, and subjected to molecular averaging reactions. Alternatively, the products can be subjected to hydrocracking reactions, isomerization reactions, and the like. The products can be isolated in the gasoline, jet and/or diesel fuel ranges. Thus, vegetable oils and/or animal fats can be converted using water, catalysts, and heat, into conventional products in the gasoline, jet and/or diesel fuel ranges. These products are virtually indistinguishable from those derived from their petroleum-based analogs, except that they can have virtually no aromatic, sulfur or nitrogen content, they are derived, in whole or in part, from renewable resources, and can also be derived from domestically available coal and/or natural gas.

Thermal decomposition process of triglyceride containing mixtures, co-processed with low molecular weight olefins to produce a renewable fuel composition

Processes for producing biodiesel compositions are disclosed. FFAs present in the triglycerides can be removed by reaction with isobutylene, or by Kolbe electrolysis. The Kolbe electrolysis can be performed on the starting material, or on the crude glycerol. The triglycerides are transesterified to form alkyl esters of the fatty acids and glycerol. The transesterification reaction can be catalyzed by an alkoxide, rather than a hydroxide, to help keep the glycerol by-product dry. The alkoxide salt can be neutralized by reaction with a dry acid, such as gaseous hydrogen chloride or sulfuric acid, and the resulting alcohol removed by distillation, and at least a portion of the neutralized salt can be removed by filtration or decantation. The process can provide improved biodiesel yields, and glycerol pure enough for use directly in glycerol ether manufacture.

Biodiesel process

Compositions and methods for forming hexane, and, optionally, gasoline and/or components of a gasoline composition, from fermentable sugars are disclosed. The sugars are fermented using a bacteria or yeast that predominantly forms butyric acid. The butyric acid is subjected to Kolbe or photo-Kolbe electrolysis to form hexane. The hexane can be subjected to catalytic, reforming and/or isomerization steps to form higher octane products, which are or can be included in gasoline compositions. In one aspect, the fermentable sugars are derived from lignocellulosic materials such as wood products, switchgrass, or agricultural wastes. These materials are delignified to form lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. The cellulose and hemicellulose are depolymerized to form glycose and xylose, either or both of which can be fermented by the bacteria. The lignin can be used to generate heat energy and/or electric energy for use in one or more process steps, such as the fermentation, product isolation, Kolbe electrolysis, catalytic reforming and/or isomerization steps. Alternatively, the lignin can be converted to synthesis gas, which can then be subjected to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, or converted to methanol and/or ethanol. Thus, the methods described herein can convert biomass to a fuel composition or fuel additive, which can be used in a conventional gasoline engine, unlike traditional fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.

Production of gasoline from fermentable feedstocks

Methods are disclosed for forming heptan-4-one, and, optionally, heptan-4-ol, from fermentable sugars. The sugars are fermented using a bacteria or yeast that predominantly forms butyric acid. The butyric acid is subjected to catalytic ketonization conditions to form heptan-4-one, with concomitant loss of water and carbon dioxide. The heptan-4-one can be subjected to catalytic hydrogenation to form heptan-4-ol, an either of these can be included in gasoline compositions. In one aspect, the fermentable sugars are derived from lignocellulosic materials such as wood products, switchgrass, or agricultural wastes, which are delignified to form lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. The cellulose and hemicellulose can be depolymerized to form glycose and xylose, either or both of which can be fermented by the bacteria. Thus, the methods described herein can convert biomass to a fuel composition or fuel additive, which can be used in a conventional gasoline engine, unlike traditional fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.

Processes for producing hydrocarbons in the gasoline and jet fuel range. The processes involve the thermal decarboxylation of fatty acids, which can be derived from the hydrolysis of triglycerides, which triglycerides can be vegetable oils, animal fats, or combinations thereof. The resulting hydrocarbons can be hydrocracked, and, optionally, isomerized and/or hydrotreated, to yield hydrocarbons in the jet fuel or gasoline range. Where the resulting hydrocarbons include olefinic double bonds, they can alternatively be combined with low molecular weight olefins, and subjected to olefin metathesis to yield hydrocarbons in the jet fuel or gasoline range.

Growing community of inventors

Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America

David Bradin