Catalysts, related methods and reaction products

• US 10,260,005 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greyrock technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Greyrock technology, LLC
• Inventors: Schuetzle, Robert, Schuetzle, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsa, Jafar F
• Application Number:
  US15/330,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20180037824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/83 with rare earths or actinides
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0435 Catalytic purification
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0465 Composition of the impurity
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/062 Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1076 Copper or zinc-based catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1082 Composition of support materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/02 Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/384 the catalyst being continuously externally heated
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/32 with the use of catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/34 Apparatus, reactors
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0946 Waste, e.g. MSW, tires, glass, tar sand, peat, paper, lignite, oil shale
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1807 Recycle loops, e.g. gas, solids, heating medium, water
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1846 Partial oxidation, i.e. injection of air or oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/00 Production of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide from solid carbonaceous fuels destructive distillation processes C10B
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/72 : Other features
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 : Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 : using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to improved catalysts that provide for reduced product contaminants, related methods and improved reaction products. It more specifically relates to improved direct fuel production and redox catalysts that provide for reduced levels of certain oxygenated contaminants, methods related to the use of those catalysts, and hydrocarbon fuel or fuel-related products that have improved characteristics. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of converting one or more carbon-containing feedstocks into one or more hydrocarbon liquid fuels. The method includes the steps of: converting the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks into syngas; and, converting the syngas to one or more hydrocarbons (including liquid fuels) and a water fraction. The water fraction comprises less than 500 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids.

Claims

1. A method of converting one or more carbon-containing feedstocks into one or more hydrocarbons comprising:

a) converting the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks into syngas;

b) converting the syngas to one or more hydrocarbons and a water fraction wherein the water fraction comprises less than 500 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids without requiring purification or other pre-treatment processes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks are selected from a group consisting of:

gas-phase feedstocks;

liquid-phase feedstocks; and

, solid-phase feedstocks.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more carboxylic acids are selected from a group consisting of:

methanoic acid;

ethanoic acid;

propanoic acid;

butanoic acid;

pentanoic acid;

hexanoic acid; and

octanoic acid.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a conversion catalyst is used to convert the syngas to one or more hydrocarbons and a water fraction, and wherein the conversion catalyst comprises a substrate, and wherein the substrate comprises a surface having a pH ranging from about 6.0 to about 8.0.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks are converted into syngas using syngas generation, thereby producing syngas with greater than 1,000 ppm oxygen, and wherein at least a portion of the oxygen in the syngas is reduced using a redox catalyst, thereby producing syngas with less than 250 ppm oxygen.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water fraction comprises less than 100 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more carbon containing feedstocks are converted into syngas using syngas generation, and wherein the syngas is produced with greater than 250 ppm oxygen, and wherein the oxygen in the syngas is reduced using a redox catalyst, and wherein the syngas is converted to one or more liquid fuels and a water fraction using a conversion catalyst, and wherein the water fraction comprises less than 25 ppm carboxylic acids.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water fraction is recycled back to the syngas generation, and wherein the water is not treated to remove one or more carboxylic acids.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water fraction is used for secondary or tertiary oil recovery, and wherein the water is not treated to remove one or more carboxylic acids.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more hydrocarbons produced from the conversion of syngas comprises less than 25 percent wax.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks are one or more gas-phase feedstocks selected from a group consisting of:

natural gas;

bio-gas;

associated gas;

flare gas;

gas phase hydrocarbons; and

, individual components extracted from natural gas streams.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks are one or more liquid-phase feedstocks selected from a group consisting of:

glycerol by-products from biodiesel production;

residual hydrocarbon wastes from petroleum refining;

waste fats; and

used oils.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks are one or more solid-phase feedstocks selected from a group consisting of:

plastics;

agriculture residues; and

forest remediation wood.

14. The method according to claim 4, wherein the conversion catalyst substrate is alumina.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein the one or more carbon-containing feedstocks are converted into syngas using syngas generation, thereby producing syngas with greater than 1,000 ppm oxygen, and wherein at least a portion of the oxygen in the syngas is reduced using a redox catalyst, thereby producing syngas with less than 250 ppm oxygen.

16. The method according to claim 5, wherein the redox catalyst comprises a copper lanthanide material containing greater than two weight percent of copper and less than one weight percent of a lanthanide, and wherein the redox catalyst is coated on a high surface area support selected from a group consisting of alumina, silica, carbon and mixtures thereof.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the redox catalyst is operated at the same temperature, pressure and space velocity conditions as the conversion catalyst.