Catalysts, systems, and methods for producing fuels and fuel additives from polyols

• US 8,361,174 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sartec
• Original Assignee: Sartec
• Inventors: McNeff, Clayton V., Nowlan, Daniel Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Toomer, Cephia D
• Application Number:
  US12/575,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20100170143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 443/88, 443/08, 444/47, 444/48
• 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 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 an alcohol when reacted in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature of greater than 300 degrees Celsius.

2. The fuel composition of claim 1, the polyol comprising glycerin.

3. The fuel composition of claim 1, the alcohol comprising ethanol.

4. The fuel composition of claim 1, comprising at least about 1 percent by weight of the reaction products of a polyol and an alcohol.

5. The fuel composition of claim 1, comprising at least about 5 percent by weight of the reaction products of a polyol and a component selected from the group consisting of organic acids and alcohols.

6. The fuel composition of claim 2, the alcohol comprising a C1-C30 alcohol.

7. 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 300 degrees Celsius to form a product mixture; and

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

8. The method of making a fuel composition of claim 7, the metal oxide catalyst selected from the group consisting of alumina, hafnia, titania, and zirconia.

9. The method of making a fuel composition of claim 7, the temperature greater than about 350 degrees Celsius.

10. The method of making a fuel composition of claim 7, the alcohol feedstock comprising a C1-C30 alcohol.

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

contacting glycerin and ethanol with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of greater than about 300 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.

12. The method of producing a cold weather biodiesel composition of claim 11 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 1.0 wt. % of the reaction product mixture.

13. The method of producing a cold weather biodiesel composition of claim 11 the metal oxide catalyst selected from the group consisting of alumina, hatnia, titania, and zirconia.