Optimum higher alcohol mixtures for fuels from syngas: Final technical report, October 1, 1984 to January 31, 1987. [Catalysts promoters, catalysts and solvents identified by code]

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6803845

Our extensive experimence with gasoline-alcohol blends indicates that the most effective alcohol extenders in terms of performance are mixtures of lower and higher alcohols. The lower alcohols, i.e., methanol and ethanol, should constitute the major portion of the mixed alcohols and will provide the much needed octane improvement. The higher alcohols, i.e., alchols in the C/sub 3/ to C/sub 5/ range, are needed to provide water tolerance and volatility control. An optimum mixed-alcohol fuel extender would have a C/sub 1/-C/sub 2/ to C/sub 3/-C/sub 5/ ratio in the range of 2.3 to 4.0 with the distribution of higher alcohols centered on the C/sub 4/ alcohols. It was the objective of this program to develop novel homogeneous catalytic systems capable of producing, from coal-derived syngas under attractive process conditions, a suitable product mixture for this optimum alcohol fuel extender. Many of the known alcohol-producing catalysts are also good water-gas shift catalysts. This property would have an advantage for the use of low H/sub 2//CO ratio syngas, since the oxygenated by-product can then be carbon dioxide rather than water. The result is that hydrogen is not consumed in formation of the stoichiometric by-product, but surplus CO is utilized instead. A substantially lower syngas ratio can thus be efficiently utilized for the production of alcohol products. Another advantage of a program which focuses on alcohol production is the potential for the use of homogeneous catalysts. Because of the potential advantages of homogeneous catalysts, the possible catalytic advantages for alcohol synthesis, and the probable future needs for such alcohols as fuel extenders, the research described in this report has been directed specifically toward the formation of alcohol products by homogeneous catalysts.

• Research Organization: Union Carbide Corp., South Charleston, WV (USA). Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology Services Div.
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-84PC70022
• OSTI ID: 6803845
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/70022-T5; ON: DE87008190
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010408 -- Coal
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& Peat-- C1 Processes-- (1987-)
090221* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ADDITIVES
ALCOHOL FUELS
ALCOHOLS
ANTIKNOCK RATINGS
BUTANOLS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
COAL GASIFICATION
COBALT COMPLEXES
COMPLEXES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
DISPERSIONS
ETHANOL
FUELS
GASIFICATION
GASOLINE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIQUID FUELS
METHANOL
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PALLADIUM COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PROMOTERS
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
RHODIUM COMPOUNDS
RUTHENIUM COMPOUNDS
SPECIFICITY
SYNTHESIS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS