Zeolitic catalytic conversion of alcohols to hydrocarbons

Abstract

A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon, the method comprising contacting said alcohol with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst at a temperature of at least 100° C. and up to 550° C., wherein said alcohol can be produced by a fermentation process, said metal is a positively-charged metal ion, and said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said hydrocarbon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon, the method comprising contacting said alcohol with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst at a temperature of at least 100° C. and up to 550° C., wherein said alcohol can be produced by a fermentation process, said metal is a positively-charged metal ion, and said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is comprised of ethanol. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is a component of an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is a component of an aqueous solution in a concentration of no more than about 20%. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said concentration is no more than about 10%. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is produced by a fermentation process. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said alcohol is a component of a fermentation stream when contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature is at least 200° C. and up to 500° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature is at least 350° C. and up to 500° C. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature is at least 350° C. and up to 450° C. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature is at least 375° C. and up to 425° C. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said metal is selected from alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, copper, iron, vanadium, zinc, titanium, cadmium, gallium, indium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said metal is selected from copper, iron, and vanadium. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said zeolite is comprised of a pentasil zeolite. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said pentasil zeolite is comprised of ZSM5. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is comprised of Cu-ZSM5. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is comprised of V-ZSM5. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon is a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, wherein said mixture is useful as a fuel or as a blendstock component of a fuel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds is comprised of hydrocarbon compounds containing at least four carbon atoms. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds substantially corresponds to a petrochemical fraction. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said petrochemical fraction substantially corresponds to a fuel selected from gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and jet propellant. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is integrated with a fermentation process, wherein said fermentation process produces said alcohol as a component of a fermentation stream, and said fermentation stream is contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is integrated with a biomass reactor that includes a fermentation process, wherein said fermentation process produces said alcohol as a component of a fermentation stream, and said fermentation stream is contacted with said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said method further comprises distilling said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds to obtain a fraction of said mixture of hydrocarbon compounds. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is produced from a biomass source. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said biomass source is comprised of lignocellulosic matter. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said fermentation process produces said alcohol from a biomass source. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said biomass source is comprised of lignocellulosic matter. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the alcohol is comprised of n-butanol or isobutanol. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said biomass source is comprised of starch or sugar. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said fermentation process produces said alcohol from a plant-based source of sugars.