Activated carbon as a high value product of hydropyrolysis
First Claim
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1. A hydropyrolysis process, comprising:
- (a) feeding both (i) hydrogen and (ii) a biomass-containing feedstock or a biomass-derived feedstock, to a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel, under hydropyrolysis conditions for hydropyrolyzing the biomass-containing feedstock or the biomass-derived feedstock;
(b) withdrawing from the hydropyrolysis reactor vessel a hydropyrolysis reactor output comprising solid char particles, at least one non-condensable gas, and a partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product;
(c) separating at least a portion of the solid char particles, as hydropyrolysis char, from the hydropyrolysis reactor output;
(d) contacting the hydropyrolysis char, separated in step (c), with steam to provide an activated carbon having a surface area of at least about 300 square meters per gram (m2/g) and to further provide an activation effluent gas; and
(e) reforming methane present in the activation effluent gas to generate at least a portion of the hydrogen in step (a).
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Abstract
Hydropyrolysis processes that accompany the generation of activated carbon as an end product, as well as processes for the production of activated carbon from hydropyrolysis char, are described. Representative processes comprise upgrading, by steam activation, char that is formed from solid biomass-containing feedstocks and/or solid biomass derived feedstocks, such as lignocellulosic feedstocks (e.g., wood). Such processes are associated with a number of advantages in terms of achieving operating synergies, obtaining desirable intermediate material and end product properties, reducing environmental impact, and significantly improving economic attractiveness.
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19 Claims
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1. A hydropyrolysis process, comprising:
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(a) feeding both (i) hydrogen and (ii) a biomass-containing feedstock or a biomass-derived feedstock, to a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel, under hydropyrolysis conditions for hydropyrolyzing the biomass-containing feedstock or the biomass-derived feedstock; (b) withdrawing from the hydropyrolysis reactor vessel a hydropyrolysis reactor output comprising solid char particles, at least one non-condensable gas, and a partially deoxygenated hydropyrolysis product; (c) separating at least a portion of the solid char particles, as hydropyrolysis char, from the hydropyrolysis reactor output; (d) contacting the hydropyrolysis char, separated in step (c), with steam to provide an activated carbon having a surface area of at least about 300 square meters per gram (m2/g) and to further provide an activation effluent gas; and (e) reforming methane present in the activation effluent gas to generate at least a portion of the hydrogen in step (a). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A process for producing activated carbon, the process comprising contacting hydropyrolysis char with steam to provide an activated carbon having a surface area of greater than about 300 square meters per gram (m2/g), and to further provide an activation effluent gas, the process further comprising
reforming methane present in the activation effluent gas to generate hydrogen.
Specification