Patent ID: 8946458
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: B01J,C07C,C07D,C10G,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for converting oxygenated hydrocarbons to lower molecular weight oxygenated compounds, the method comprising the step of reacting an aqueous feedstock solution with hydrogen, at a temperature of between about 100° C. and about 300° C., in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, to produce a reaction product comprising a cyclic ether and one or more oxygenated compounds selected from the group consisting of a polyol, a ketone, an aldehyde, a carboxylic acid, and an alcohol, wherein the aqueous feedstock solution comprises water and one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of a starch, a polysaccharide, an oligosaccharide, a trisaccharide, a disaccharide, a monosaccharide, a polyhydric alcohol, a sugar, a sugar alcohol, a sugar degradation product, and combinations thereof, wherein the heterogeneous catalyst comprises palladium, molybdenum, tin, and tungsten, wherein the oxygenated compound has a lower molecular weight than the oxygenated hydrocarbon, and wherein the cyclic ether is a monooxygenate cyclic ether and the monooxygenate cyclic ether is greater than or equal to 17 wt % and less than 26 wt % of the aqueous feedstock carbon.