Petroleum substitutes from the essential oils of eupatorium species

Abstract

The essential oils of Eupatorium capillifolium (Dogfennel) and Eupatorium compositifolium (Yankeeweed) may be isolated in unexpectedly high yield by steam distillation of the whole or leafy parts of the plants. Such oils may be used as motor fuels in gasoline and diesel engines in unrefined and refined form. Eupatorium oil is amenable to separation into lower boiling and higher boiling fractions better suited to gasoline and diesel fuel use, respectively. It is also amenable to refining by hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, reforming, cracking and alkylation of the whole oil or isolated components thereof.

1 . Petroleum substitutes derived from plant matter of the genus  Eupatorium.    
   
   
       2 . The Petroleum substitutes derived from plant matter according to  claim 1  comprising the species  Eupatorium compositifolium  (Yankeeweed or Banker's Weed), the species  Eupatorium capillifolium  (Dogfennel) or  Eupatorium foeniculaceum.    
   
   
       3 . The Petroleum substitutes derived from plant matter according to  claim 2  that is a gasoline substitute, a diesel fuel substitute, a jet fuel substitute, a lamp oil substitute, a stove fuel substitute or a fuel oil substitute. 
   
   
       4 . A process for the isolation of the oils of the genus  Eupatorium  comprising the steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter. 
   
   
       5 . The process according to  claim 4  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter comprises the continuous feeding of the plant matter. 
   
   
       6 . The process according to  claim 5  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter further comprises the continuous removal of spent plant matter or spent extracts of the plant matter. 
   
   
       7 . The process according to  claim 5  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter further comprises the continuous generation of distillate water and dissolved components. 
   
   
       8 . The process according to  claim 5  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter further comprises the continuous collection of distillate water and dissolved components. 
   
   
       9 . The process according to  claim 5  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter further comprises the continuous recycle of distillate water and dissolved components. 
   
   
       10 . The process according to  claim 5  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter further comprises he continuous collection of product oils. 
   
   
       11 . The process according to  claim 5  wherein said steam distillation of  Eupatorium  plant matter further comprises the continuous removal and isolation of product oils. 
   
   
       12 . A process wherein the spent plant matter from the steam distillation of the species  Eupatorium  is used as boiler fuel, digestable or fermentable biomass for ethanol production or as pulp for papermaking. 
   
   
       13 . A process constituting the fermentation of boiler water recovered from the steam distillation of the species  Eupatorium  and the isolation of ethanol from said fermentation. 
   
   
       14 . The process according to  claim 13  wherein said ethanol is used as a motor fuel.