Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Paul D Oldenburg

Virginia M Roberts

Michel A Daage

James Ronald Bielenberg

Paul Joseph Berlowitz

David C Long

Halou Oumar-Mahamat

Kun Wang

Mark Alan Greaney

Bradley R Fingland

Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho

Peter Domaille

Roby Bearden, Jr

William C Baird, Jr

Daniel Paul Leta

Patrick Loring Hanks

Michael F Raterman

Jonathan Martin McConnachie

Leo D Brown

Suzzy C Ho

Lu Han

Frank Cheng-Yu Wang

Walter David Vann

Jorge L Soto

Judit Bartalis

Joe Toporowski

Suzzy CH Ho

Provided are processes for making hydrocarbons from renewable feed sources. In an embodiment, there is provided a method for co-producing lube basestock and transportation fuel from a feedstock of biological origin, the method including: a) converting a feedstock of biological origin to a ketone or a dimer acid in the presence of a first catalyst; and b) hydrogenating the ketone or the dimer acid to produce a hydrocarbon in the presence of a second catalyst comprising a hydrogenation catalyst and a hydrothermally stable binder.

Process for making lube base stocks from renewable feeds

Provided are processes for making saturated hydrocarbons from renewable feed sources. In an embodiment, a process for producing a lube basestock and/or a diesel fuel from a feedstock of biological origin includes: contacting the feedstock in a single reactor in the presence of hydrogen with catalyst components including a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the first catalyst comprises an acidic material, a basic material, or a combination of both, and wherein the second catalyst is a hydrogenation catalyst including a hydrothermally stable binder.

Process for making saturated hydrocarbons from renewable feeds

Processes for extracting product molecules from an algae feed are provided. The algae feed represents an input stream, batch sample, or other algae portion suitable for use in product extraction. The product extraction is typically performed at pressures greater than ambient pressure. This allows for improved extraction, including the potential for use of extraction solvents at temperatures greater than the boiling point for the solvent.

Solvent extraction of products from algae

Methods are provided for processing glycerides to form lubricant boiling range molecules in a single reactor and/or a single reaction zone. The glycerides are exposed to catalysts that are stable under the conditions present in the reaction zones during conversion of glycerides to fatty ketones via a coupling reaction in the presence of a first catalyst, and the subsequent deoxygenation and isomerization of the ketones in the presence of a second dewaxing catalyst. The glyceride-containing feedstock can further include free fatty acids or fatty acid derivatives that can also be used for formation of ketones and subsequent deoxygenation and isomerization. In some configuration, the processing can occur in a single reaction zone containing mixed beds of the first and second catalyst. Such configurations can be used to control the ratio of diesel boiling range molecules versus lubricant boiling range molecules generated by the methods.

Production of lubricant base oils from biomass

The present invention relates to an improved gasifier reactor design. In particular, the present invention relates to improved design of gasifier reactor faceplates, gasifier reactor walls, gasifier reactor cooling tubes, and gasifier reactor walls with integrated cooling channels. The present invention utilizes aluminum nitride and/or aluminum nitride/metal composite materials which promote many benefits to the present design herein, including improved corrosion and erosion resistively as compared to high alloy metal materials.

Corrosion resistant gasifier components

Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the integration of processes for recovering products from algae-derived biomass. The enhanced process integration allows for increased use of input streams and other reagents that are derived from renewable sources. This increases the overall renewable character of the products extracted from the algae-derived biomass. The process integration can include exchange of input streams or energy between an algae processing system and a system for processing non-algal biomass. One example of improving process integration is using oxygenates that are generated in a renewable manner as a reagent for enhancing the algae processing system.

Integrated bioprocessing for fuel production

This invention provides a process for separating solute material from an algal cell feed stream. The algal cell feed stream, which contains the solute material, can be introduced into on portion of a mixer-settler vessel, and a solvent feed stream can be introduced into another portion of the vessel to mix with the algal cell feed stream, with a goal of separating at least a portion of the solute material from the algal feed stream.

Process for separating solute material from an algal cell feed stream

Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment is performed in the presence of catalyst particles. The presence of the heterogeneous catalyst can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment. After the hydrothermal treatment, the catalyst particles can be separated from the algae-based solids, to allow for recycle of the catalyst particles.

Catalyst recovery in hydrothermal treatment of biomass

Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions, e.g., to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment is performed in the presence of a dissolved catalyst or catalyst precursor. The presence of the dissolved catalyst or catalyst precursor can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment.

Catalytic hydrothermal treatment of biomass

Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The solids portion can contain a portion of the phosphorus from the biomass feed. The amount of phosphorus in the solids portion can be increased for some biomass feeds by adding a multivalent metal to the feed. The phosphorus from the solids portion can be recycled for further use, such as for growth of additional biomass.

Phosphorus recovery from hydrothermal treatment of biomass

Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions, e.g., to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment can be performed in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst particles that can optionally include a catalyst metal or metal salt. The presence of the heterogeneous catalyst can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment.

Hydrothermal treatment of biomass with heterogeneous catalyst

After desulfurizing a hydrocarbon feedstream using an alkali metal reagent, the hydrocarbon feedstream can include particles of spent alkali metal salts. The spent alkali metal salts can be separated from the hydrocarbon feedstream and regenerated to form an alkali metal reagent, such as a alkali hydroxide or alkali sulfide. The regeneration process can pass through an intermediate stage of forming an alkali carbonate by successive reactions with carbon dioxide and calcium oxide. The calcium oxide can also be regenerated.

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Easton, PA, United States of America

Paul D Oldenburg