Production of alcohols having three carbon atoms from carbonaceous materials

摘要

A process for producing alcohols having three carbon atoms from carbonaceous materials such as biomass. The carbonaceous material, such as biomass, is gasified to produce synthesis gas. The synthesis gas then is subjected to a plurality of reactions to produce alcohols such as n-propanol and isopropanol.

主权项

1. A process for producing at least one alcohol having three carbon atoms, from a carbonaceous material, comprising:
(a) gasifying said carbonaceous material to provide a crude synthesis gas; (b) purifying said crude synthesis gas to provide a purified synthesis gas; (c) reacting at least a portion of the carbon monoxide with a portion of the hydrogen from said purified synthesis gas to provide methanol and wherein said carbon monoxide and said hydrogen are reacted in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst suspended in an inert oil having a boiling point; (d) reacting said methanol to produce a product comprising dimethyl ether; (e) purifying the product of step (d) to provide purified dimethyl ether; (f) reacting said dimethyl ether in the presence of a catalyst in a fixed bed catalytic reactor to provide at least one olefin comprising ethylene; (g) reacting said ethylene with synthesis gas in a hydroformylation reactor containing a fixed bed of catalyst to provide a product comprising n-propanol, isopropanol, and propionaldehyde; (h) separating said n-propanol and said isopropanol as separate streams from said propionaldehyde; (i) hydrogenating said propionaldehyde in a hydrogenation reactor to provide a product comprising n-propanol and unreacted propionaldehyde; (j) separating said unreacted propionaldehyde from said n-propanol produced in step (i) to provide a product comprising n-propanol; and (k) recycling said unreacted propionaldehyde to step (i).