Hydrogenolysis of glycerol and products produced therefrom

• US 7,928,148 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Archer Daniels Midland Company
• Original Assignee: Archer Daniels Midland Company
• Inventors: Bloom, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Price; Elvis O
• Application Number:
  US11/876,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 514/738
• US Class Current: 514/738
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/60 by elimination of -OH groups, e.g. by dehydration C07C29/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/205 1,3-Propanediol; 1,2-Propanediol

Abstract

Processes for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol, as well as products produced therefrom are disclosed.

Claims

1. A composition, comprising:

a biobased 1,2-propanediol; and

a weight/weight ratio of polyhydric alcohols other than 1,2-propanediol to the biobased 1,2-propanediol of 0.5% or less, and wherein the polyhydric alcohols present in the composition other than 1,2-propanediol include one or more of 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol and 2,4-pentanediol.

2. The composition of claim 1, further comprising ethylene glycol at a concentration of less than 0.25%.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is produced by a process including the hydrogenolysis of glycerol.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the weight/weight ratio of the polyhydric alcohols to the biobased 1,2-propanediol is 0.25% or less.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the biobased 1,2-propanediol is present at a concentration of between 0.1% and 99.9% by weight.

5. A composition, comprising:

a biobased 1,2-propanediol; and

polyhydric alcohols other than 1,2-propanediol, including one or more of 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol and 2,4-pentanediol;

wherein a ratio of the biobased 1,2-propanediol to the other polyhydric alcohols is between 100;

1 and 1000;

1.

6. The composition of claim 5, further comprising ethylene glycol at a concentration of less than 0.3%.

7. The composition of claim 5, wherein the composition is produced by a process including the hydrogenolysis of glycerol.

10. The composition of claim 5, wherein the biobased 1,2-propanediol is present at a concentration of between 0.1% and 99.9% by weight.

8. A composition, comprising:

polyhydric alcohols obtained from a biobased feed stock;

wherein the polyhydric alcohols comprise;

1,2-propanediol in an amount of at least 997 g/kg on a dry weight basis; and

one or more of 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol and 2,4-pentanediol, the 1,2-butanediol, the 1,3-butanediol, the 1,4-butanediol, the 2,3-butanediol and the 2,4-pentanediol collectively being present at a concentration of less than 0.5% of the 1,2-propanediol concentration on a dry weight basis.

11. The composition of claim 8, wherein the 1,2-propanediol is present at a concentration of between 0.1% and 99.9% by weight.