Patent ID: 8323937

Claim:
A process for generating at least one polyol from a feedstock comprising: contacting, in a continuous manner, hydrogen, water, and a feedstock comprising cellulose, with a catalyst to generate an effluent stream comprising at least one polyol; wherein the hydrogen, water, and feedstock comprising cellulose are flowing in a continuous manner; wherein the catalyst consists essentially of at least two active metal components selected from the group consisting of: i.) Mo, W, V, Ni, Co, Fe, Ta, Nb, Ti, Cr, Zr and combinations thereof wherein the metal is in the elemental state or the metal is a carbide compound, a nitride compound, or a phosphide compound; ii.) Pt, Pd, Ru, and combinations thereof wherein the metal is in the elemental state; and iii.) any combination of i.) and ii.); recovering the polyol from the effluent stream; and wherein the contacting occurs in a reaction zone comprising at least a first input stream and a second input stream, the first input stream comprising at least the flowing feedstock comprising cellulose and the second input stream comprising flowing hydrogen.