University of Minnesota

University of Delaware

University of Massachusetts

Paul J Dauenhauer

Michael Tsapatsis

Lanny D Schmidt

Dae Sung Park

Raul Francisco Lobo

Charles S Spanjers

Kristeen Joseph

Bradon J Dreyer

Limin Ren

Christoph Krumm

Marc Andrew Hillmyer

Edward L Cussler

Nick Joseph Degenstein

Kechun Zhang

Alon V McCormick

Mohammadmahdi Malmali

Aditya Bhan

Wei Fan

David J Lundberg

Omar A Abdelrahman

Joshua L Colby

James R Salge

Hong Je Cho

Mahesh Mahanthappa

Prodromos Daoutidis

Matt Kale

Maura Koehle

Deepak Ojha

Daniel J Lundberg

Dionisos G Vlachos

Michael Reese

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus and process for producing ammonia. The apparatus includes a reactor having (i) an inlet to receive an inlet gas comprising nitrogen and hydrogen, (ii) a catalyst and an absorbent disposed within an internal volume of the reactor, the catalyst configured to convert the nitrogen and hydrogen to a reaction mixture including ammonia, unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen, the absorbent configured to selectively absorb a portion of the ammonia in the reactor during formation of the reaction mixture, and (iii) an outlet to discharge the reaction mixture from the reactor.

Integrated apparatus for producing ammonia

Methods and phosphorus-containing solid catalysts for catalyzing dehydration of cyclic ethers (e.g., furans, such as 2,5-dimethylfuran) and alcohols (e.g., ethanol and isopropanol). The alcohols and cyclic ethers may be derived from biomass. One example includes a tandem Diels-Alder cycloaddition and dehydration of biomass-derived 2,5-dimethyl-furan and ethylene to renewable p-xylene. The phosphorus-containing solid catalysts are also active and selective for dehydration of alcohols to alkenes.

Phosphorus-containing solid catalysts and reactions catalyzed thereby, including synthesis of p-xylene

Disclosed are compounds of the Formula 1 wherein A is an aromatic moiety; H is a hydrophobic group comprising a main alkyl chain having from about 3 to about 26 carbon atoms and comprising a Cor greater alkyl chain branched from the main alkyl chain; and K is a hydrophilic group. 

Aromatic surfactants

Synthesizing an alkyl-caprolactone includes hydrogenating an alkyl-phenol to yield a first mixture comprising an alkyl-cyclohexanone and an alkyl-cyclohexanol; separating the alkyl-cyclohexanone from the first mixture to yield a first portion of a purified alkyl-cyclohexanone; oxidizing the first portion of the purified alkyl-cyclohexanone to yield a second mixture comprising an alkyl-caprolactone, the alkyl-cyclohexanone, and the alkyl-cyclohexanol; separating the alkyl-caprolactone from the second mixture to yield a third mixture comprising the alkyl-cyclohexanone and the alkyl-cyclohexanol; combining the third mixture and the first mixture in to yield a fourth mixture; separating the alkyl-cyclohexanone from the fourth mixture to yield a second portion of the purified alkyl-cyclohexanone; oxidizing the second portion of the purified alkyl-cyclohexanone to yield a fifth mixture comprising the alkyl-caprolactone, the alkyl-cyclohexanone, and the alkyl-cyclohexanol; separating the alkyl-caprolactone from the fifth mixture; and combining the alkyl-caprolactone from the fifth mixture with the alkyl-caprolactone from the second mixture.

Chemical process to manufacture branched-caprolactone

Forming a diene includes contacting a reactant including at least one of a cyclic ether and a diol with a heterogeneous acid catalyst to yield a reaction mixture including a diene. The heterogeneous acid catalyst includes at least one of a Lewis acid catalyst, a supported Lewis-acid catalyst, a Brnsted acid catalyst, a solid acid catalyst, a supported phosphoric acid catalyst, and a sulfonated catalyst. The dehydration of cyclic ethers and diols with high selectivity to yield dienes completes pathways for the production of dienes, such as isoprene and butadiene, from biomass in high yields, thereby promoting economical production of dienes from renewable resources.

Forming dienes from cyclic ethers and diols, including tetrahydrofuran and 2-methyl-1,4-butanediol

Methods that include acylating an aromatic containing compound by reacting the aromatic containing compound with an anhydride containing compound to form an acylated aromatic containing compound.

Methods of forming aromatic containing compounds

Methods of forming a Cto Cdiol compound, the methods including a first step of reacting a Cto Cdicarboxylic acid with hydrogen (H) gas on a first heterogeneous catalyst at a first temperature and a first pressure to form a Cto Clactone; and a subsequent step of reacting the lactone with hydrogen (H) gas on a second heterogeneous catalyst at a second temperature and a second pressure, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. Also disclosed are methods of forming a solvent, the methods including reacting a Cto Cdicarboxylic acid with hydrogen (H) gas on a first heterogeneous catalyst at a first temperature and a first pressure to form a solvent. Further disclosed herein are methods that include reacting mevalonolactone with hydrogen (H) gas on a second heterogeneous catalyst at a second temperature and a second pressure to form a diol compound.

Methods of forming diol compounds

A method comprising contacting a carbon and hydrogen-containing solid fuel and a metal-based catalyst in the presence of oxygen to produce hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas, wherein the contacting occurs at a temperature sufficiently high to prevent char formation in an amount capable of stopping production of the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas is provided. In one embodiment, the metal-based catalyst comprises a rhodium-cerium catalyst. Embodiments further include a system for producing syngas. The systems and methods described herein provide shorter residence time and high selectivity for hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Solid fuel volatilization to produce synthesis gas

Methods and reactors for producing a fuel are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method uses a biomass feedstock and alkane and/or alcohol feedstock, which can be contacted with a metal-containing catalyst to form products including a bio-oil. In some embodiments, oxygen-containing functional groups can be removed from a bio-oil using one or more zeolite thin films.

Method and apparatus for producing a fuel from a biomass or bio-oil

The invention provides methods for the production of synthesis gas. More particularly, various embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for volatilizing fluid fuel to produce synthesis gas by using a metal catalyst on a solid support matrix.

Reactive flash volatilization of fluid fuels

Growing community of inventors

Sunderland, MA, United States of America

Paul J Dauenhauer