Production of aromatics from renewable resources

Abstract

Renewable oils are converted to aromatics, by contact with a catalytically-active form of gallium, for use in the petrochemical industry and/or for fuel blending components or additives. The renewable oil(s) feature high oxygen content, high H/C mole ratios, and high fatty acid or fatty acid ester content prior to heating and contact with the catalyst. The catalyst may be, for example, a gallium-doped version of one or more zeolite-alumina matrix catalysts with pore sizes having 10 oxygen atoms in the pore mouth, such as ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-23, MCM-70, SSZ-44, SSZ-58, SSZ-35, and ZSM-22. Aromatics-production from the renewable oils is enhanced at higher gallium-cation levels, with the preferred level being about 1.0 Ga/framework-Al. While various renewable oils, or “bio-oils,” may be used, algae oil has exhibited very high BTEX yields over the gallium cation catalyst, under conditions at or near 1 atm and approximately 400 degrees C.

1 - 54 . (canceled) 
     
     
         55 . A process for producing BTEX aromatics from a renewable oil obtained from biomass living in the past 50 years, the process comprising contacting a feedstock comprising said renewable oil at an elevated temperature with a catalyst that retains gallium in a catalytically-active form. 
     
     
         56 . The process of  claim 55 , wherein said biomass comprises a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         57 . The process as in  claim 55 , wherein said catalyst is a gallium-doped form of one or more zeolite-alumina matrix catalysts with pore sizes having 10 oxygen atoms in the pore mouth. 
     
     
         58 . The process as in  claim 55 , wherein said catalyst is a gallium-doped form of a zeolitic catalyst selected from the group consisting of: ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-23, MCM-70, SSZ-44, SSZ-58, SSZ-35, and ZSM-22. 
     
     
         59 . The process as in  claim 55 , wherein said catalyst comprises gallium cations. 
     
     
         60 . The process as in  claim 55 , wherein said elevated temperature is in the range of 350-555 degree C. 
     
     
         61 . The process as in  claim 60 , wherein said elevated temperature is in the range of 375-425 degrees C. 
     
     
         62 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said feedstock is 100 wt % oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         63 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said feedstock is 90-100 wt % oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         64 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said feedstock is 80-100 wt % oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         65 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said feedstock is 50-100 wt % oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         66 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said feedstock is 5-100 wt % oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         67 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said feedstock is 1-20% oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         68 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism is extracted from naturally-occurring algae or cyanobacteria. 
     
     
         69 . The process as in  claim 56 , wherein said oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism is extracted from genetically-modified algae or cyanobacteria. 
     
     
         70 . The process as in  claim 66 , wherein the remainder of the feedstock that is not oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism is selected from the group consisting of: one or more fossil oil fractions, one or more refined fossil oil products or fractions, naphtha, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         71 . The process as in  claim 67 , wherein the remainder of the feedstock that is not oil obtained from a non-vascular photosynthetic organism is selected from the group consisting of: one or more fossil oil fractions, one or more refined fossil oil products or fractions, naphtha, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         72 . The process as in  claim 55 , wherein the catalyst has 90-100% of cation sites occupied by gallium. 
     
     
         73 . A process for producing BTEX aromatics from renewable oil, the process comprising:
 providing a reactor vessel or riser containing catalyst, said catalyst comprising a gallium-cation catalyst; and   contacting a feedstock with said catalyst at elevated temperature;   
       wherein said feedstock comprises renewable oil derived from biomass living in the past 50 years. 
     
     
         74 . The process as in  claim 73 , wherein said biomass comprises a non-vascular photosynthetic organism. 
     
     
         75 . The process as in  claim 73 , wherein said elevated temperature is between 350-555 degrees C. 
     
     
         76 . The process as in  claim 73 , wherein said gallium-cation catalyst comprises between 10-100 wt % of the total catalyst. 
     
     
         77 . The process as in  claim 73 , wherein said renewable oil comprises between 5-100 wt % of the feedstock. 
     
     
         78 . The process as in  claim 73 , wherein said gallium-cation catalyst has 90-100% of cation sites occupied by gallium. 
     
     
         79 . The process as in  claim 55 , wherein the weight percentage of catalyst comprising a catalytically-active form of gallium is equal to the weight percentage of renewable oil in the feedstock. 
     
     
         80 . The process as in  claim 73 , wherein the weight percentage of gallium-cation catalyst is equal to the weight percentage of renewable oil in the feedstock.