The invention is a process for converting polyols (alcohol containing multiple hydroxyl groups) to lower oxygenated compounds in the absence of externally added hydrogen, using an admixture catalyst consisting of supported Ru and supported Pt. This process does not require hydrogen to be added. Part of the polyol reactant produces hydrogen in situ by aqueous reforming under the reaction conditions. The in situ produced hydrogen participates in a hydrogenolysis reaction of the remaining polyol to yield lower deoxygenated products.
Suggested Uses
The process has great potential for converting biomass derived polyols to industrial chemicals, some examples of which are products like
1,2 propanediol, ethylene glycol, n-propanol, etc. from glycerol.
Advantages
The key limitations in most of the current methods are the use of externally added hydrogen at high pressures and low selectivity to the desired liquid phase oxygenated products. This process does not require hydrogen to be added, resulting in:
• Improved process economics and safety because the process can be operated at lower pressure
• Improved performance with respect to yield and polyol utilization
• Improved product selectivity
Detailed Description
This process results in high conversion for glycerol (50.1%) and high selectivity to desired deoxygenated products (1, 2-propanediol when glycerol is used: 47.2%) without adding hydrogen from external source. In the absence of externally added hydrogen the admixture catalyst out-performed when compared to experiments with added hydrogen (partial pressure of hydrogen was 41 bar) (47.2% and 31.9% respectively). This self sustainable process utilizes part of the polyol to generate hydrogen due to the supported Pt catalyst, and the hydrogen is then used for hydrogenolysis of the remaining polyol by supported Ru catalyst. The process is unique as it limits the excess hydrogen availability in the system allowing control of side reactions and can be operated at low pressures with improved performance and polyol utilization. Unlike the previous reports, this process generates hydrogen from the low cost polyol feed and reduces undesired side reactions in hydrogenolysis reaction. The advantages in the process are following: (a) no need of external hydrogen addition (thus improved economics), (b) reaction can start at ambient pressure which improves process safety, (c) renewable and cheap polyols can be used as hydrogen source, (d) better productivity of the process with respect to yields and polyol utilization to useful products.
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