CATALYSTS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES FROM POLYOLS

• US 20100170143A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sartec
• Original Assignee: Sartec
• Inventors: Nowlan, Daniel Thomas, McNeff, Clayton V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,361,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/388
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/02 essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/18 containing oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1824 mono-hydroxy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1826 poly-hydroxy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1852 Ethers; Acetals; Ketals; Orthoesters
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1857 Aldehydes; Ketones
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/19 Esters ester radical containing compounds; ester ethers; carbonic acid esters C10L1/1802, C10L1/1805, C10L1/1808, C10L1/1811, C10L1/1814, C10L1/1817 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1905 of di- or polycarboxylic acids

Abstract

The present invention relates to catalysts, systems, and methods for producing products such as fuels and fuel additives from polyols. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of producing a fuel additive, including combining a polyol and a component selected from the group consisting of alcohols and organic acids to form a reaction mixture and contacting the reaction mixture with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of greater than about 150 degrees Celsius. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Claims

1. A method of producing a fuel additive, comprising:

combining a polyol and a component selected from the group consisting of alcohols and organic acids to form a reaction mixture;

contacting the reaction mixture with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of greater than about 150 degrees Celsius.

2. The method of claim 1, the reaction mixture comprising at least about 50 wt. % polyol.

3. The method of claim 1, the metal oxide catalyst selected from the group consisting of alumina, hafnia, titania, and zirconia.

4. The method of claim 1, the organic acids comprising carboxylic acids.

5. The method of claim 1, the temperature greater than about 200 degrees Celsius.

6. The method of claim 1, the temperature greater than about 300 degrees Celsius.

7. The method of claim 1, the temperature greater than about 350 degrees Celsius.

8. The method of claim 1, the polyol comprising glycerin.

9. The method of claim 1, the alcohols comprising C1-C30 alcohols.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising combining a glycerin and ethanol to form a reaction mixture.

11. A fuel additive produced according to the process of:

combining a polyol and a component selected from the group consisting of alcohols and carboxylic acids to form a reaction mixture;

contacting the reaction mixture with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of greater than about 150 degrees Celsius.

12. The fuel additive of claim 11, the reaction mixture comprising at least about 50 wt. % polyol.

13. The fuel additive of claim 11, the metal oxide catalyst selected from the group consisting of alumina, hafnia, titania, and zirconia.

14. The fuel additive of claim 11, the organic acids comprising carboxylic acids.

15. The fuel additive of claim 11, the temperature greater than about 200 degrees Celsius.

16. The fuel additive of claim 11, the polyol comprising glycerin.

17. The fuel additive of claim 11, the alcohols comprising C1-C30 alcohols.

18. The fuel additive of claim 11, comprising combining a glycerin and ethanol to form a reaction mixture.

19. A fuel composition comprising:

at least about 50 percent by weight of fatty acid alkyl esters; and

at least about 1 percent by weight of the reaction products of a polyol and a component selected from the group consisting of organic acids and alcohols.

20. The fuel composition of claim 19, comprising at least about 1 percent by weight of the reaction products of glycerin and an alcohol.

21. The fuel composition of claim 20, the alcohol comprising ethanol.

22. A method of making a fuel composition:

processing a lipid feedstock in order to produce a mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerin;

separating out the glycerin;

combining the glycerin with an alcohol feedstock to form a reaction mixture;

contacting the reaction mixture with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of greater than about 150 degrees Celsius to form a product mixture; and

combining the product mixture with fatty acid alkyl esters to form the fuel composition.

23. A method of producing a cold weather biodiesel composition with comprising:

contacting glycerin and ethanol with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of greater than about 150 degrees Celsius to form a reaction product mixture; and

mixing the reaction product mixture with a fatty acid alkyl ester composition to form a cold weather biodiesel composition, such that the combined mixture includes at least about 0.1 wt. % of the reaction product mixture.