Petroleum substitute comprised of an organic solvent extract of herbaceous plant biomass

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed generally to a composition of matter and, more specifically, to a composition comprising a petroleum substitute produced from renewable, herbaceous plant-based sources through a solvent extraction process. The plant sources are typically hydrocarbon-bearing plants capable of producing significant quantities of liquid terpenes such that the process of extracting hydrocarbons from the plant material is economically viable. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plant species is Euphorbia tirucalli, a species that contains relatively large quantities of relatively low molecular weight hydrocarbons. A raw plant biomass is milled and formed into a batt of plant material having generally uniform properties. Naturally occurring hydrocarbons found in the plant material are then extracted using an organic solvent extraction process. The extracted hydrocarbon oils are then separated from the solvent and may be used as a petroleum substitute, while the solvent may be reused in the extraction operation.

What I claim as my invention is: 
     
         1 .) A composition used as a petroleum substitute comprising an organic solvent extract of Euphorbia tirucalli plant material. 
     
     
         2 .) The composition of  claim 1 , said extract comprising hydrocarbons formed from oligomerized pentenes. 
     
     
         3 .) The composition of  claim 2 , said pentenes comprising 2-methyl-2-butene. 
     
     
         4 .) The composition of  claim 2 , said pentenes comprising 2-methyl-1-butene. 
     
     
         5 .) The composition of  claim 1 , said extract comprising plant isoprenoids formed from 2-methyl-1-butene subunits. 
     
     
         6 .) The composition of  claim 1 , said composition having a naphtha fraction comprised of 2,6-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene and 2,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene. 
     
     
         7 .) The composition of  claim 6 , said naphtha fraction further comprising monoterpene compounds.) 
     
     
         8 .) The composition of  claim 6 , said naphtha fraction comprising greater than ⅓ of the extracted material. 
     
     
         9 .) The composition of  claim 6 , said naphtha fraction having a boiling point of about 150 to 180 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         10 .) The composition of  claim 6 , said naphtha fraction having a boiling point of about 170 to 180 degrees Celsius.) 
     
     
         11 .) The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent comprises a non-polar solvent. 
     
     
         12 .) The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the organic non-polar solvent comprises hexane. 
     
     
         13 .) A hydrocarbon composition comprising an organic solvent extract of Euphorbia tirucalli plant material, said extract comprising:
 a. a naphtha fraction having a boiling point of about 150 to 180 degrees Celsius, said naphtha fraction comprised of 2,6-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene, 2,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene, and limonene;   b. a grease fraction; and,   c. a tar fraction.   
     
     
         14 .) The composition of  claim 13 , said grease fraction comprising squalene, phytane, and farnesene. 
     
     
         15 .) The composition of  claim 13 , said tar fraction comprising beta-carotene, chlorophyll, and 1up-20(29)-en-3-one. 
     
     
         16 .) The composition of  claim 13 , said naphtha fraction comprising greater than ⅓ of the extracted material. 
     
     
         17 .) The composition of  claim 13 , said naphtha fraction having a boiling point of about 170 to 180 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         18 .) The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the organic solvent comprises a non-polar solvent. 
     
     
         19 .) The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the organic non-polar solvent comprises hexane. 
     
     
         20 .) The hydrocarbon composition of  claim 6 , said extract prepared by a method comprising the steps of:
 a. preparing a generally flat solvent-permeable layer of Euphorbia tirucalli plant fibers by applying compressive and shearing forces to a raw biomass of Euphorbia tirucalli;   b. preparing a solvent-permeable fibrous batt of Euphorbia tirucalli biomass by stacking a plurality of layers on top of each other;   c. extracting hydrocarbons from the biomass by conveying the fibrous batt in a direction countercurrent to an organic solvent flow;   d. recovering a mixture comprised of the solvent and the extracted hydrocarbons; and,   e. separating the extracted hydrocarbons from the solvent to produce the extract.   
     
     
         21 .) The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the organic solvent comprises a non-polar solvent. 
     
     
         22 .) The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the organic non-polar solvent comprises hexane.