Method and system for hybrid catalytic biorefining of biomass to methylated furans and depolymerized technical lignin

US11623205B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Charles E. Wyman · Riverside, US
• Charles M. Cai · Riverside, US
• Phillip Christopher · Midland School, US
• Bhogeswararao Seemala · Jamkhed, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 8, 2019
• Grant date: Apr 11, 2023
• Expiry date: Mar 8, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P30/20
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method is disclosed for converting biomass into a fuel additive, the method comprising: liquefying the biomass to form a liquor; neutralizing the liquor; precipitating lignin out of the liquor; extracting furfural (FF) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from the liquor; and hydrodeoxygenating (HDO) the extracted furfurals over a Cu—Ni/TiO2 catalyst. The catalyst for hydrodeoxygenating (HDO) furfural (FF) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to methylated furans comprises copper-nickel (Cu—Ni) particles supported on titanium dioxide (TiO2), and wherein the copper-nickel particles form core-shell structures in which copper (Cu) is enriched at a surface of the catalyst.