Ceramatec, Inc.

Enlighten Innovations Inc.

Field Upgrading Limited

Texaco Inc. & Texaco Development Corporation

Coorstek, Inc.

Mukund Karanjikar

Sai Bhavaraju

Pallavi Chitta

Ashok V Joshi

James M Mosby

David Joel Hunt

Daniel Taggart

Patrick McGuire

Jacob Staley

Singaravelu Elangovan

Douglas G Naae

James F Stevens

Kerry Kennedy Spilker

Jerry Max Rovner

Peter Charles Ricci

Thomas M Vu

Dennis P Essl

Zoran Mirkovic

Stephen J Decanio

Jason C Hicks

Elangovan S

Methods, equipment, and reagents for preparing organic compounds using custom electrolytes based on different ionic liquids in electrolytic decarboxylation reactions are disclosed.

Custom ionic liquid electrolytes for electrolytic decarboxylation

A method for upgrading bio-mass material is provided. The method involves electrolytic reduction of the material in an electrochemical cell having a ceramic, oxygen-ion conducting membrane, where the membrane includes an electrolyte. One or more oxygenated or partially-oxygenated compounds are reduced by applying an electrical potential to the electrochemical cell. A system for upgrading bio-mass material is also disclosed.

Hydrogen utilization and carbon recovery

A method for converting carboxylic acids (including carboxylic acids derived from biomass) into hydrocarbons. The produced hydrocarbons will generally have at least two oxygen containing substituents (or other substituents). In one example of application, the electrolysis converts alkali salts of carboxylic acids into diols which can then be used as solvents or be dehydrated to produce dienes, which can then be used to produce elastic polymeric materials. This process allows custom synthesis of high value chemicals from renewable feed stocks such as carboxylic acids derived from biomass.

Device and method of obtaining diols and other chemicals using decarboxylation

A method that produces coupled radical products from biomass. The method involves obtaining a lipid or carboxylic acid material from the biomass. This material may be a carboxylic acid, an ester of a carboxylic acid, a triglyceride of a carboxylic acid, or a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, or any other fatty acid derivative. This lipid material or carboxylic acid material is converted into an alkali metal salt. The alkali metal salt is then used in an anolyte as part of an electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell may include an alkali ion conducting membrane (such as a NaSICON membrane). When the cell is operated, the alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid decarboxylates and forms radicals. Such radicals are then bonded to other radicals, thereby producing a coupled radical product such as a hydrocarbon. The produced hydrocarbon may be, for example, saturated, unsaturated, branched, or unbranched, depending upon the starting material.

Method of producing coupled radical products from biomass

Hydrocarbons may be formed from six carbon sugars. This process involves obtaining a quantity of a hexose sugar. The hexose sugar may be derived from biomass. The hexose sugar is reacted to form an alkali metal levulinate, an alkali metal valerate, an alkali metal 5-hydroxy pentanoate, or an alkali metal 5-alkoxy pentanoate. An anolyte is then prepared for use in a electrolytic cell. The anolyte contains the alkali metal levulinate, the alkali metal valerate, the alkali metal 5-hydroxy pentanoate, or the alkali metal 5-alkoxy pentanoate. The anolyte is then decarboxylated. This decarboxylating operates to decarboxylate the alkali metal levulinate, the alkali metal valerate, the alkali metal 5-hydroxy pentanoate, or the alkali metal 5-alkoxy pentanoate to form radicals, wherein the radicals react to form a hydrocarbon fuel compound.

Production of fuel from chemicals derived from biomass

The instant invention pertains to new processes which produce an energy source effectively, efficiently, and in a more environmentally friendly manner. The process comprises hydrolyzing a lignocellulosic feedstock to form lignocellulosic hydrolyzate and a hydrolyzate residue. The lignocellulosic hydrolyzate is treated to produce hydrogen. The hydrolyzate residue may be reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to yield the energy source.

Integrated biofuel process

An aryl-alkyl (R&#x2014;Ar) hydrocarbon is prepared by an electrosynthesis process in an electrolytic cell having an alkali ion conductive membrane positioned between an anolyte compartment configured with an anode and a catholyte compartment configured with a cathode. An anolyte solution containing an alkali metal salt of an alkyl carboxylic acid and an aryl compound is introduced into the anolyte compartment. The aryl compound may include an alkali metal salt of an aryl carboxylic acid, an arene (aromatic) hydrocarbon, or an aryl alkali metal adduct (ArM). The anolyte solution undergoes electrolytic decarboxylation to form an alkyl radical. The alkyl radical reacts with the aryl compound to produce the aryl-alkyl hydrocarbon.

Electrochemical synthesis of aryl-alkyl surfacant precursor

Ketones, specifically Methyl ethyl ketone ('MEK') and octanedione, may be formed from six carbon sugars. This process involves obtaining a quantity of a six carbon sugar and then reacting the sugar to form levulinic acid and formic acid. The levulinic acid and formic acid are then converted to an alkali metal levulinate and an alkali metal formate (such as, for example, sodium levulinate and sodium formate.) The alkali metal levulinate is placed in an anolyte along with hydrogen gas that is used in an electrolytic cell. The alkali metal levulinate within the anolyte is decarboxylated to form MEK radicals, wherein the MEK radicals react with hydrogen gas to form MEK, or MEK radicals react with each other to form octanedione. The alkali metal formate may also be decarboxylated in the cell, thereby forming hydrogen radicals that react with the MEK radicals to form MEK.

Decarboxylation of levulinic acid to ketone solvents

Method of producing coupled radical products

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West Valley City, UT, United States of America

Mukund Karanjikar