Patent ID: 9738569
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: C01B,C07C,C10J,C10K,Y02E,Y02P

Claim:
1. A process for producing acrylic acid and ethanol from biomass comprising: (a) contacting said biomass with an oxidizing gas comprising oxygen and steam, thereby oxidizing said biomass; (b) treating, in a first stage, at least a portion of said oxidized biomass produced in step (a) with an oxidizing gas comprising oxygen and steam to heat and reform said oxidized biomass, and provide an oxidized biomass containing residual carbon in char particles entrained in said oxidized biomass, and low molecular weight alkyl and aromatic hydrocarbons and phenolics in said oxidized biomass; (c) treating, in a second stage, at least a portion of said oxidized biomass containing residual carbon in char particles entrained in said oxidized biomass, and low molecular weight alkyl and aromatic hydrocarbons and phenolics in said oxidized biomass, produced in step (b) with an oxidizing gas comprising oxygen and steam to heat said oxidized biomass to a temperature from about 800° C. to about 1500° C., thereby producing a crude synthesis gas; (d) purifying the crude synthesis gas to provide a purified synthesis gas; (e) reacting at least a portion of the carbon monoxide from said purified synthesis gas with hydrogen from said purified synthesis gas to provide a product stream containing dimethyl ether; (f) separating said dimethyl ether from said product stream of step (e) and reacting said dimethyl ether to provide a product comprising propylene and ethylene; (g) reacting said ethylene to produce ethanol; and (h) subjecting said propylene to one or more reaction steps to produce acrylic acid.