Synthesis of ethanol from biomass

摘要

A process for the selective production of ethanol by vapor phase reaction of acetic acid over a hydrogenating catalyst composition to form ethanol is disclosed and claimed. In an embodiment of this invention reaction of acetic acid and hydrogen over either cobalt and palladium supported on graphite or cobalt and platinum supported on silica selectively produces ethanol in a vapor phase at a temperature of about 250° C.

主权项

1. A method for producing ethanol from biomass, said method comprising:
(i) converting said biomass into a first stream comprising syngas; (ii) catalytically converting at least some of said syngas into a second stream comprising methanol; (iii) separating some of said syngas into hydrogen and carbon monoxide; (iv) catalytically converting at least some of said methanol with some of said carbon monoxide into a third stream comprising acetic acid; and (v) reducing at least some of said acetic acid with some of said hydrogen into a fourth stream comprising ethanol.