Methods of producing jet fuel from natural oil feedstocks through oxygen-cleaved reactions

Abstract

Methods are provided for producing a jet fuel composition from a feedstock comprising a natural oil. The methods comprise reacting the feedstock with oxygen under conditions sufficient to form an oxygen-cleaved product. The methods further comprise hydrogenating the oxygen-cleaved product under conditions sufficient to form a jet fuel composition.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method of producing a jet fuel composition comprising:
 providing a natural oil comprising carbon-carbon double bonds;   reacting the natural oil with ozone to provide an ozone-cleaved product, wherein the ozone-cleaved product comprises C9 aldehydes; and   hydrogenating the ozone-cleaved product to provide a hydrogenated product comprising a jet fuel composition and at least one byproduct, wherein the hydrogenated product comprises C 9  hydrocarbons formed from the hydrogenation of the C 9  aldehydes, and wherein the hydrogenated product comprises at least 40 wt % C 9  hydrocarbon compounds.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the jet fuel composition has an energy density of greater than 40 MJ/kg. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising isomerizing the ozone-cleaved product prior to the hydrogenating. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising isomerizing the jet fuel composition, wherein a fraction of normal-paraffin compounds in the jet fuel composition are isomerized into iso-paraffin compounds. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising separating C 18+  compounds and water from the jet fuel composition. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the C 18+  compounds are removed by at least one of the following: distillation, filtration, or centrifugation. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the jet fuel composition is a kerosene-type jet fuel having a carbon number distribution from 8 to 16 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the kerosene-type jet fuel has:
 a flash point between 38° C. and 66° C.;   an auto ignition temperature of 210° C.; and   a freeze point between −47° C. and −40° C.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the jet fuel composition is a naphtha-type jet fuel having a carbon number distribution from 5 to 15 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the naphtha-type jet fuel has:
 a flash point between −23° C. and 0° C.;   an auto ignition temperature of 250 ° C.; and   a freeze point of −65° C.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the natural oil is selected from the group consisting of algae oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil, palm kernel oil, tung oil, jatropha oil, castor oil, and natural oil derivatives of any one or more of these. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the natural oil is soybean oil, a derivative of soybean oil, or combination thereof.