T.en Process Technology, Inc.

Union Carbide Corporation

Iowa Corn Promotion Board

Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company, Inc.

Aurora Algae, Inc.

Gfbiochemicals IP Assets B.v.

Best Energies, Inc.

Louis A Kapicak

Donald L Bunning

Brooke Albin

Michael C Bradford

David James Schreck

Mark Nunley

Joseph P Henry

Bernard C Ream

James E Deitzler

Daniel Joseph Brunelle

Brian Daniel Mullen

Anthony G Abatjoglou

Dorie Janine Yontz

Cora Leibig

Ray W Chrisman

Arthur R Doumaux, Jr

Erlind M Thorsteinson

Andy L Thompson

Alfred W Naumann

Matthew John Tjosaas

John W Crandall

Fedor Poppelsdorf

Thomas Arthur Maliszewski

Robert Page Shirtum

Thomas M Notermann

Marc David Rodwogin

John M Hurt

Andrew J Louwagie

David James Shreck

Lea Dulatas

Jeffrey G Hippler

Steven R Strand

Thomas C Cleveland

Integrated processes are disclosed for the catalytic conversion of carbohydrate to ethylene glycol and/or propylene glycol using a homogeneous, tungsten-containing retro-aldol catalyst. In these processes, the carbohydrate is subjected to retro-aldol conversion and hydrogenation to provide a reaction product containing ethylene glycol and/or propylene glycol, other reaction process including organic acids, itols and tungsten species. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are separated from the reaction product for purification, and at least a portion of the remaining fraction is subjected to ion exclusion chromatography to provide an eluant containing tungsten species and a subsequent eluant containing organic acids and a substantially reduced concentration of tungsten species. At least a portion of the eluant containing tungsten species can be recycled for reuse directly or with intervening unit operations to enhance the catalytic activity of the tungsten species. The organic-containing fraction can be subjected to one or more unit operations to provide salable products or subjected to selective hydrogenolysis to lower glycols.

Processes for making ethylene glycol and/or propylene glycol from aldose- and/or ketose-yielding carbohydrates with integrated tungsten catalyst recovery

By this invention processes are provided for the conversion of carbohydrate to ethylene glycol by retro-aldol catalysis and sequential hydrogenation using control methods having at least one of acetol (hydroxyacetone) and a tracer as inputs.

Continuous, carbohydrate to ethylene glycol processes

Control methods are disclosed for continuous, unmodulated, multiple catalytic conversion step processes using at least two catalysts, a first catalyst and a second catalyst, that accommodate changes in the performance of each catalyst and the relative performances of the catalysts. In the methods, certain process parameters are used in a manner that is indicative of changes in catalyst performance, and the control methods provide for adjustment of at least one of: the absolute amount of catalytically active species and relative amounts of each of the first catalyst and second catalyst and at least one of the rate of feed or concentration of the raw material to the reaction zone.

Methods for operating continuous, unmodulated, multiple catalytic step processes

Retro-aldol processes are disclosed that use very low concentrations of retro-aldol catalyst in combination with hydrogenation catalyst of certain activities, sizes and spatial dispersions to obtain the high selectivities to ethylene glycol.

Continuous processes for the selective conversion of aldohexose-yielding carbohydrate to ethylene glycol using low concentrations of retro-aldol catalyst

The invention describes processes to prepare levulinic acid, formic acid and/or hydroxymethyl furfural from various biomass materials.

Process to prepare levulinic acid

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to processes and methods for converting lipids comprising fatty acids into fatty esters. According to various embodiments of the invention, the saponifiable lipids are reacted with a base to form alkali soaps. The alkali soaps are then reacted with an acid to form fatty esters. Both the base reaction and the acid reaction may occur in the presence of one or more alcohols. Following the acid reaction, a solvent may be added to effect a separation of the fatty esters, which may then be recovered.

Conversion of saponifiable lipids into fatty esters

Glyceride-containing feed for a base catalyzed transesterification with lower alkanol to make biodiesel is pretreated with glycerin separated during the transesterification to partially convert glycerides with lower alkanol contained in the separated glycerin using base catalyst in the separated glycerin while reducing the free fatty acid and phosphorus compound concentrations in the glyceride-containing feed. Unique producer compositions are provided by the pretreatment processes.

Biodiesel processes in the presence of free fatty acids and biodiesel producer compositions

A process is provided for epoxidation of an alkene in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas which comprises contacting the alkene and the oxygen-containing gas under epoxidation conditions in the presence of at least one gaseous efficiency-enhancing member of a redox-half reaction pair, a performance-enhancing amount of a fluorine-containing substance and a supported silver catalyst comprising a catalytically-effective amount of silver on a solid porous support and at least one efficiency-enhancing salt of a member of a redox-half reaction pair.

Fluorine-containing catalytic system for expoxidation of alkenes

A process is provided for the utilization of dialkyl carbonates formed as by-products in a continuous process for the synthesis of oxalic acid esters from nitrous acid esters and carbon monoxide and wherein the esters are subsequently used as intermediates in the production of commercially useful products, such as ethylene glycol. The process comprises contacting a mixture containing the by-product comprised of a dialkyl carbonate with an aqueous solution of a metal carbonate under hydrolyzing conditions whereby the dialkyl carbonate is converted to the corresponding alkanol and the metal carbonate is converted to metal bicarbonate. Upon distillation of the alkanol from the mixture the bicarbonate is converted back to the metal carbonate which can then be recycled from the bottoms to the hydrolyzing zone for use in further hydrolysis of by-product. The alkanol is recycled for use in the continuous process.

Process for the hydrolysis of dialkyl carbonates

A continuous vapor state process for the preparation of diesters of oxalic acid from a nitrogen oxide, an alcohol and carbon monoxide.

Vapor state formation of diesters of oxalic acid

A process is disclosed for preparing a diester of oxalic acid by contacting carbon monoxide and an ester of nitrous acid in the vapor state under a pressure in the presence of a special palladium supported catalyst.

Process for preparing a diester of oxalic acid in the vapor phase

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Cross Lanes, WV, United States of America

Louis A Kapicak