Process for the production of hydrocarbon biofuels

Abstract

A method of deoxygenating a feedstock, comprising at least one oxygenated organic compound, to form a hydrocarbon product, comprising the steps of: contacting the feedstock with a catalyst under conditions to promote deoxygenation of the at least one oxygenated compound, wherein the catalyst comprises a mixed metal oxide of the empirical formula: (M2)y(M1)O—ZnO—(Al2O3)x is disclosed. The invention is useful in the production of renewable fuels, such as renewable diesel, and jet fuel.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present disclosure relates to methods, compositions, and uses of decarbonylation and decarboxylation catalysts to produce renewable hydrocarbons.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Biofuels are fuels produced from biomass—organic matter derived from living, or recently living organisms. Biofuels, as opposed to fossils fuels, are renewable resources and can provide a sustainable supply of fuel. However, compared to fossil fuels, biomass is more functionalized and requires defunctionalization in order to make it readily usable with existing fuel consumption technologies1.[0003]Biodiesel, a first generation biofuel, is produced using a transesterification process resulting in a fuel that is chemically different from petrodiesel, because it contains oxygen atoms in the form of a fatty acid methyl ester. This results in a type of diesel fuel, which, though environmentally more friendly than petrodiesel fuel, corrodes a standard internal combustion diesel engi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to a new catalyst for treating FAMEs to produce linear alpha-olefins. The catalyst has the advantage of using mostly non-noble metals, which lowers the cost of the catalyst and makes it more durable. The catalyst also has active sites for deoxygenation and in-situ hydrogen formation, which means that no external hydrogen is required. This avoids the need for expensive and potentially dangerous hydrogen gas. Additionally, the catalyst is able to produce hydrogen in-situ from the FAMEs, which saturates the olefin bonds and reduces the need for external hydrogen. Overall, the new catalyst is a cost-effective and durable solution for converting FAMEs to linear alpha-olefins.

Problems solved by technology

This results in a type of diesel fuel, which, though environmentally more friendly than petrodiesel fuel, corrodes a standard internal combustion diesel engine.

The presence of oxygen in biodiesel reduces energy density.

Biodiesel also has issues of reduced fluidity at low temperature and difficulties in long term storage due to oxidative degradation of its unsaturated components.

Thus, biodiesel is not typically used as a complete replacement for petrodiesel fuel, but is rather blended with petrodiesel.

This pathway requires an external supply of hydrogen and is energy-intensive, requiring high pressure and an expensive hydrogen feed.

However, palladium and platinum are expensive and can rapidly deactivate.

The formation of a high amount of coke deposits limits the utility of these catalysts for decarboxylation and decarbonylation reactions.

Images