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Title: Production of drop-in biodiesel blendstocks via competitive acid-catalyzed dehydration reactions using ethanol oligomerization products

Journal Article · · Sustainable Energy & Fuels
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d4se00362d · OSTI ID:2352121
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin - Madison
  2. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
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Ethanol can be converted into diesel fuel ethers using a three-step catalytic approach that involves ethanol oligomerization to larger alcohols, hydrogenolysis of the esters followed by dehydration of the C4 to C8 alcohols into ethers. In this paper we report results for the dehydration of a mixture of C4 – C8 alcohols using a zeolite Y catalyst in a continuous flow reactor. Mono-molecular dehydration of the alcohols produces olefins while bi-molecular dehydration of the alcohol produces ethers. Increasing the pressure increases the ether selectivity while decreasing the pressure produces more olefins. Linear alcohol feeds produce more C8+ ethers, while branched and secondary alcohols lead to more olefins. Olefin and coke selectivities increase with increasing carbon chain length of alcohols. Secondary alcohols lead to higher coke selectivities. Furthermore, ethanol/Butanol oligomerization experiments showed that the incoming dehydration feedstock can be grown to larger C6+ alcohol fractions, leading to higher yields of C10+ diesel-range ethers.

Research Organization:
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0008480
OSTI ID:
2352121
Journal Information:
Sustainable Energy & Fuels, Journal Name: Sustainable Energy & Fuels Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 8; ISSN 2398-4902
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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