ENERGY DENSIFICATION OF BIOMASS-DERIVED ORGANIC ACIDS

• US 20110098503A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Maine System Board of Trustees
• Original Assignee: University of Maine System Board of Trustees
• Inventors: Schwartz, Thomas J., van Walsum, G. Peter, van Heiningen, Adriaan Reinhard Pieter, Wheeler, M. Clayton
• Granted Patent: US 8,362,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 562/594
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/21 Alkatrienes; Alkatetraenes; Other alkapolyenes
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/145 with hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/22 Trihydroxylic alcohols, e.g. glycerol
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 45/54 of compounds containing doubly bound oxygen atoms, e.g. esters
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 49/12 Ketones containing more than one keto group
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 5/333 Catalytic processes
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 51/412 by conversion of the acids, their salts, esters or anhydrides with the same carboxylic acid part
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 59/185 Saturated compounds having only one carboxyl group and containing keto groups

Abstract

A process for upgrading an organic acid includes neutralizing the organic acid to form a salt and thermally decomposing the resulting salt to form an energy densified product. In certain embodiments, the organic acid is levulinic acid. The process may further include upgrading the energy densified product by conversion to alcohol and subsequent dehydration.

Claims

1. A process for upgrading an organic acid comprising neutralizing the organic acid to form a salt and thermally decomposing the resulting salt to form an energy densified product.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the neutralization is done with calcium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide.

3. The process of claim 1 which is used on a mixture of organic acids to form energy densified products.

4. The process of claim 1 further comprising upgrading the energy densified product by conversion to alcohol and subsequent dehydration.

5. The process of claim 1 which uses a pyrolysis reactor system for the thermal decomposition reaction, and the pyrolysis reactor system includes a heat transfer medium.

6. The process of claim 1 which is integrated with an existing kraft pulping process.

7. The process of claim 1 further comprising adding an inorganic salt or a second organic acid to the organic acid recited in claim 1 to vary the properties of the product.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the organic acid includes impurities.

10. The process of claim 8 further comprising catalytic hydrogenation of the tri-ketone into a 9-carbon tri-ol.

13. The process of claim 8 which is integrated with an existing kraft pulping process.

9. A process for dimerization of levulinic acid into a 9-carbon tri-ketone using either a calcium or magnesium salt of levulinic acid.

11. The process of claim 9 further comprising catalytic dehydration of the tri-ol to form 2,4,6-Nonene.

12. The process of claim 9 further comprising using the 2,4,6-Nonene as alkylation feedstock to create larger, branched hydrocarbons.