Fuels and methods of making the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes a first treating of a first mixture that includes a carboxylic acid having between 2 and 12 carbon atoms, inclusively, to form a second mixture that includes a ketone having between 2 and 25 carbon atoms, inclusively, and a second treating of at least a first portion of the second mixture to form a first product that includes a paraffin having 8 or more carbon atoms.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 dehydrating one or more secondary alcohols to yield a first reaction mixture comprising one or more first alkenes;   oligomerizing the one or more first alkenes with one or more second alkenes to yield a second reaction mixture comprising one or more branched alkenes; and   hydrogenating the one or more branched alkenes to yield a reaction mixture comprising one or more branched paraffins.   
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising hydrogenating one or more ketones to yield the one or more secondary alcohols. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more ketones are represented by: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         and R 1  and R 2  on each ketone independently represents an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, inclusive. 
       
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein, for one of the one or more ketones, R 1  and R 2  each represents a propyl group. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more secondary alcohols are represented by: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         and R 1  and R 2  on each alcohol independently represents an alkyl group having between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, inclusive. 
       
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein, for one of the one or more alcohols, R 1  and R 2  each represents a propyl group. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein one of the one or more branched alkenes is a dimer. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the dehydrating, the oligomerizing, and the hydrogenating occur in a single reactor. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the dehydrating, the oligomerizing, and the hydrogenating occur in separate reactors. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more secondary alcohols comprise C 5 -C 7  secondary alcohols. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the C 5 -C 7  secondary alcohols comprise 3-pentanol, 3-hexanol, and 3-heptanol. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the first reaction mixture is free of C 5 -C 7  alcohols. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the dehydrating and the oligomerizing are performed in a packed bed reactor. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising catalyzing the dehydrating and the oligomerizing with an acidic solid catalyst. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the acidic solid catalyst comprises an ion-exchange resin. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the dehydrating and the oligomerizing are performed at a temperature between about 100° C. and about 300° C. and a pressure between about 1 atm and about 10 atm. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the hydrogenating is performed in a packed bed reactor. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising catalyzing the hydrogenating with a solid catalyst comprising a transition metal positioned on a metal oxide support. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the hydrogenating is performed at a temperature between about 100° C. and about 250° C. and a pressure between about 10 atm and about 100 atm.