Catalytic upgrading of alcohols produced by fermentation of agricultural feedstock

Authors: Wegener, Evan

Submitted to: Corn Dry Milling Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Butanol, like ethanol, is an alcohol that can be produced by fermentation of agricultural feedstocks, such as corn or processing waste. In addition to its use as a fuel, it is possible to convert this alcohol into a variety of chemicals that can be used in the manufacturing of plastics, personal care products, and aviation fuels. This work demonstrates the use of mixtures of a PdZn/SiO2 catalyst and TiO2 to perform the vapor phase coupling of butanol to valuable chemical intermediates. The bimetallic catalyst was shown to be highly selective (>97%) for butanol dehydrogenation without subsequent decarbonylation of butanal to propylene. When combined with TiO2, a known aldol condensation catalyst, the bifunctional system performs Guerbet-type coupling reactions and produces mixtures of C8 oxygenates, C7 hydrocarbons, C8 hydrocarbons, and C12 hydrocarbons with the combined selectivity to these products reaching 81% at 81% conversion. Furthermore, modification of the TiO2 surface is demonstrated to be a potential method to alter the relative amounts of coupling products. This research provides a promising route to generate new revenue streams for biorefineries and expand the marketability of agricultural commodities.