Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

University of Massachusetts

Kior, Inc.

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Anellotech, Inc.

George W Huber

James Anthony Dumesic

Paul O'Connor

Avelino Corma Camos

Yu-Ting Cheng

Jungho Jae

Tushar P Vispute

Torren Carlson

Kevin J Barnett

Geoff Tompsett

Anne Mae Gaffney

Juben Nemchand Chheda

Avelino Corma Canos

Michael P Lanci

Peter Galebach

Clark R Landis

Ashley M Wittrig

Nathaniel M Eagan

Paolo Andres Cuello Penaloza

J Scott Buchanan

Hochan Chang

Thomas J Schwartz

Jiayang Wu

Houqian Li

Siddarth H Krishna

Ronen Weingarten

Aniruddha A Upadhye

Hyung Ju Kim

Kamalakanta Routray

Fei Cao

Zach J Brentzel

Laurent Louis Andre Sauvanaud

Insoo Ro

Laurent Louis Sauvanaud

M Isabel Tejedor-Anderson

Christopher J Barrett

Wenzhao Wu

Paul O'connor

Tushar Vispute

Geoffrey Tompsett

A method to make primary alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, and other value-added chemicals from plastic waste. The method includes the steps of pyrolyzing plastic waste to yield pyrolysis oil; hydroformylating the pyrolysis oil in the absence of any added co-reactants to yield a mixture comprising aldehydes; and hydrogenating, oxidizing, aminating, or aldolizing the mixture to yield a product comprising primary alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, or larger (>C10) chemicals with carbonyl function groups.

Method for making aldehydes, alcohols, amides, and carboxylic acids from plastic pyrolysis oil

A method of making polyesters and polyurethanes from biomass-derived polyols. The polyol is biomass-derived and has the structure: wherein dashed bonds are single or double bonds and R is selected from the group consisting of &#x2014;OH and &#x2550;O. Polyurethanes are made by reacting the polyol with a diisocyanate. Polyesters are made by reacting the polyol with a dicarboxylic acid.

Synthesis of functional polyurethanes and polyesters from biomass-derived monomers

Processes for producing alcohols from biomass are provided. The processes utilize supercritical methanol to depolymerize biomass with subsequent conversion to a mixture of alcohols. In particular the disclosure relates to continuous processes which produce high yields of alcohols through recycling gases and further employ dual reactor configurations which improve overall alcohol yields. Processes for producing higher ethers and olefins from the so-formed alcohols, through alcohol coupling and subsequent dehydration are also provided. The resulting distillate range ethers and olefins are useful as components in liquid fuels, such as diesel and jet fuel.

Processes for producing alcohols from biomass and further products derived therefrom

A method of making of 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol ('tetrol'). The method includes the steps of contacting a reaction solution containing water as well as levoglucosenone, dihydrolevoglucosenone, and/or levoglucosanol, with a catalyst containing metal and acid functionalities, at temperature of from about 100&#xb0; C. to about 175&#xb0; C., and a hydrogen partial pressure of from about 1 bar to about 50 bar (about 0.1 MPa to about 5 MPa), and for a time wherein at least a portion of the reactant is converted into 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol.

Catalytic production of 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol from levoglucosenone

A method of making 1,5-pentanediol from tetrahydrofurfural alcohol. The method includes the steps of dehydrating tetrahydrofurfural alcohol (THFA) to dihydropyran (DHP); hydrating at least a portion of the DHP to 2-hydroxy-tetrahydropyran (2-HY-THP) in the absence of homogeneous acid; and hydrogenating at least a portion of the 2-HY-THP to 1,5-pentanediol. The method can be conducted entirely in the absence of noble metal catalysts.

Production of 1,5-pentanediol via upgrading of tetrahydrofufuryl alcohol

A method of making 1,5-pentanediol from tetrahydrofurfural alcohol. The method includes the steps of dehydrating tetrahydrofurfural alcohol (THFA) to dihydropyran (DHP); hydrating at least a portion of the DHP to 2-hydroxy-tetrahydropyran (2-HY-THP) in the presence of a solid acid catalyst; and hydrogenating at least a portion of the 2-HY-THP to 1,5-pentanediol. The method can be conducted entirely in the absence of noble metal catalysts.

Production of 1,5-pentanediol via upgrading of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol

Described is a method of reducing COto CO using visible radiation and plasmonic photocatalysts. The method includes contacting COwith a catalyst, in the presence of H, wherein the catalyst has plasmonic photocatalytic reductive activity when exposed to radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm. The catalyst, CO, and Hare exposed to non-coherent radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm such that the catalyst undergoes surface plasmon resonance. The surface plasmon resonance increases the rate of COreduction to CO as compared to the rate of COreduction to CO without surface plasmon resonance in the catalyst.

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A method to produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is described in which a reactant including cellulose, lignocellulose, or a combination thereof, in a reaction mixture of a polar, aprotic solvent and an acid is reacted for a time, at a temperature, and at a hydrogen ion concentration wherein at least a portion of the cellulose or lignocellulose present in the reactant is converted to HMF. The reaction mixture is initially substantially devoid of water. As the reaction proceeds, dehydration of intermediates causes the water concentration in the reaction mixture to rise to no more than about 2.0 wt % water.

Method for selectively preparing evoglucosenone (LGO) and other anhydrosugars from biomass in polar aprotic solvents

A method to produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is described in which a reactant including cellulose, lignocellulose, or a combination thereof, in a reaction mixture of a polar, aprotic solvent and an acid is reacted for a time, at a temperature, and at a hydrogen ion concentration wherein at least a portion of the cellulose or lignocellulose present in the reactant is converted to HMF. The reaction mixture is initially substantially devoid of water. As the reaction proceeds, dehydration of intermediates causes the water concentration in the reaction mixture to rise to no more than about 0.2 wt % water.

Method for selectively preparing 5-hydroxymethylfurfual (HMF) from biomass in polar aprotic solvents

This invention relates to compositions and methods for fluid hydrocarbon product, and more specifically, to compositions and methods for fluid hydrocarbon product via catalytic pyrolysis. Some embodiments relate to methods for the production of specific aromatic products (e.g., benzene, toluene, naphthalene, xylene, etc.) via catalytic pyrolysis. Some such methods may involve the use of a composition comprising a mixture of a solid hydrocarbonaceous material and a heterogeneous pyrolytic catalyst component. In some embodiments, an olefin compound may be co-fed to the reactor and/or separated from a product stream and recycled to the reactor to improve yield and/or selectivity of certain products. The methods described herein may also involve the use of specialized catalysts. For example, in some cases, zeolite catalysts may be used. In some instances, the catalysts are characterized by particle sizes in certain identified ranges that can lead to improve yield and/or selectivity of certain products.

Systems and processes for catalytic pyrolysis of biomass and hydrocarbonaceous materials for production of aromatics with optional olefin recycle, and catalysts having selected particle size for catalytic pyrolysis

This invention relates to compositions comprising fluid hydrocarbon products, and to methods for making fluid hydrocarbon products via catalytic pyrolysis. Some embodiments relate to methods for the production of specific aromatic products (e.g., benzene, toluene, naphthalene, xylene, etc.) via catalytic pyrolysis. Some such methods involve the use of a composition comprising a mixture of a solid hydrocarbonaceous material and a heterogeneous pyrolytic catalyst component. The methods described herein may also involve the use of specialized catalysts. For example, in some cases, zeolite catalysts may be used.

Catalytic pyrolysis of solid biomass and related biofuels, aromatic, and olefin compounds

Disclosed herein is a method of generating hydrogen from a bio-oil, comprising hydrogenating a water-soluble fraction of the bio-oil with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, and reforming the water-soluble fraction by aqueous-phase reforming in the presence of a reforming catalyst, wherein hydrogen is generated by the reforming, and the amount of hydrogen generated is greater than that consumed by the hydrogenating. The method can further comprise hydrocracking or hydrotreating a lignin fraction of the bio-oil with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst wherein the lignin fraction of bio-oil is obtained as a water-insoluble fraction from aqueous extraction of bio-oil. The hydrogen used in the hydrogenating and in the hydrocracking or hydrotreating can be generated by reforming the water-soluble fraction of bio-oil.

Production of hydrogen, liquid fuels, and chemicals from catalytic processing of bio-oils

A method is disclosed for producing a mixture of CO and H(syn-gas). The method comprises contacting particles containing a coke deposit with oxygenated molecules derived from biomass. In a preferred embodiment the particles are catalyst particles. The method may be carried out in the regenerator of a conventional fluid catalyst cracking (FCC) unit.

Processing of biomass-derived oxygenates with particles comprising a coke deposit

A process is disclosed for fluid catalytic cracking of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds such as glycerol and bio-oil. In the process the oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds are contacted with a fluid cracking catalyst material for a period of less than 3 seconds. In a preferred process a crude-oil derived material, such as VGO, is also contacted with the catalyst.

Fluid catalytic cracking of oxygenated compounds

A method is disclosed for producing a mixture of CO and H(syn-gas). The method comprises contacting particles containing a coke deposit with oxygenated molecules derived from biomass. In a preferred embodiment the particles are catalyst particles. The method may be carried out in the regenerator of a conventional fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit.

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Amherst, MA, United States of America

George W Huber