University of Massachusetts

Tushar P Vispute

George W Huber

Yu-Ting Cheng

Jungho Jae

Torren Carlson

Geoff Tompsett

Kamalakanta Routray

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

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, the mixture may be pyrolyzed at high temperatures (e.g., between 500&#xb0; C. and 1000&#xb0; C.). The pyrolysis may be conducted for an amount of time at least partially sufficient for production of discrete, identifiable biofuel compounds. Some embodiments involve heating the mixture of catalyst and hydrocarbonaceous material at high rates (e.g., from about 50&#xb0; C. per second to about 1000&#xb0; C. per second). The methods described herein may also involve the use of specialized catalysts. For example, in some cases, zeolite catalysts may be used; optionally, the catalysts used herein may have high silica to alumina molar ratios. In some instances, the composition fed to the pyrolysis reactor may have a relatively high catalyst to hydrocarbonaceous material mass ratio (e.g., from about 5:1 to about 20:1).

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Tonawanda, NY, United States of America

Tushar P Vispute