Patent ID: 8450544

Claim:
A method for preparing high energy fuels, consisting of the following steps: a) providing a pyrolysis gasoline; b) distilling the pyrolysis gasoline to separate a C 5 fraction from a C 6 and heavier fraction, which C 5 fraction comprises cyclopentadiene (CPD); c) distilling the C 6 and heavier fraction to separate a C 6 -C 8 fraction from a C 9 and heavier hydrocarbon fraction, which C 9 and heavier hydrocarbon fraction comprises pre-existing dicyclopentadiene(DCPD) from the pyrolysis gasoline, wherein the C 9 and heavier hydrocarbon fraction was pre-existing in the pyrolysis gasoline, and wherein after step c), substantially no additional distillation of pre-existing C 9 and heavier hydrocarbons occurs; d) heat soaking the C 5 fraction to form a C 5 -C 12 derivative, which C 5 -C 12 fraction comprises dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) produced in step d); e) combining the C 5 -C 12 derivative with the C 6 -C 8 fraction; f) partially hydrogenating non-aromatic unsaturated moieties of the combination of the C 5 -C 12 derivative and the C 6 -C 8 fraction to form a first-stage hydrogenated mixture, which first-stage hydrogenated mixture comprises hydrogenated-dicyclopentadienes (hydrogenated DCPD); g) distilling the first-stage hydrogenated mixture to separate a first-stage hydrogenated C 5 fraction, which is used as a petrochemical feedstock, from a first-stage hydrogenated C 6 -C 12 fraction, which first-stage hydrogenated C 6 -C 12 fraction comprises hydrogenated-DCPD; h) selectively hydrogenating the remaining non-aromatic unsaturated moieties of the first-stage hydrogenated C 6 -C 12 fraction to form a second-stage hydrogenated mixture, which comprises endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (endo-THDCPD); i) distilling the second-stage hydrogenated mixture to separate out a C 6 -C 9 aromatic hydrocarbon fraction as a petrochemical product, a C 10 -C 12 non-aromatic hydrocarbon fraction (endo isomer) including endo-THDCPD including endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene as a precursor of a high energy fuel, and a fraction having a boiling point higher than a boiling point of the C 10 -C 12 non-aromatic hydrocarbon fraction as a bottoms; and j) isomerizing the C 10 -C 12 non-aromatic hydrocarbon fraction (endo isomer) including endo-THDCPD with a purity of more than 90 wt % as a precursor of a high energy fuel to a C 10 -C 12 non-aromatic hydrocarbon fraction (exo isomer) including exo-THDCPD with a purity of more than 90 wt % as a high energy fuel in the presence of acidic catalyst.