Flexible glycerol conversion process

• US 8,058,484 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: REG Synthetic Fuels, LLC (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Syntroleum Corporation (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: Abhari, Ramin
• Primary Examiner(s): WITHERSPOON, SIKARL A
• Application Number:
  US12/196,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20090054701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 568/861
• US Class Current: 568/861
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 1/22 by reduction
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/42 Platinum
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/44 Palladium
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/46 Ruthenium, rhodium, osmium or iridium
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/745 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/75 Cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/883 and nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2523/888 Tungsten
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/08 Propane

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for converting byproducts of the manufacture of biodiesel into industrially useful oxygenated products of greater commercial value. The process includes a trickle bed reactor in which a glycerol-rich feedstock is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a nickel-tungsten catalyst under typical refining condition of high temperature and pressure, yielding propane synfuel or propanediols.

Claims

1. A process for converting glycerol for producing a product, comprising the steps of:

providing a glycerol containing feedstock;

reacting the glycerol containing feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst wherein the catalyst used is nickel tungsten; and

recovering the converted glycerol into a product selected from the group comprising propane, 1,3-propanediol and combinations thereof.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein a nickel tungsten catalyst surface texture is a high macropore texture.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein glycerol is contacted with the nickel tungsten catalyst in a fixed bed reactor.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the fixed bed reactor operates in a chemical mode and a synfuel mode.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein in the synfuel mode glycerol is converted to propane synfuel.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein in the chemical mode glycerol is converted to propylene glycol and 1,3-propanediol.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein glycerol is converted into propane synfuel.

9. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

heating the reaction of the glycerol containing feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of the catalyst to a temperature greater than about 600°

F.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the product resulting from the process is propane synfuel.

7. A process for converting glycerol for producing a product, comprising the steps of:

providing a glycerol containing feedstock;

reacting the glycerol containing feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, wherein the catalyst used is nickel molybdenum; and

recovering the converted glycerol into a product selected from the group comprising propane, 1,3-propanediol, and combinations thereof.