The invention is directed to a method of electrochemically producing valeric acid.

The method of the invention comprises contacting a solution of levulinic acid with an anode and a cathode in an electrochemical cell; and electrochemically reducing levulinic acid at the cathode to form valeric acid,
wherein the cathode comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of cadmium, zinc, and indium.

The invention is directed to a method of electrochemically producing valeric acid.

The method of the invention comprises contacting a solution of levulinic acid with an anode and a cathode in an electrochemical cell; and electrochemically reducing levulinic acid at the cathode to form valeric acid,
wherein the cathode comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of cadmium, zinc, and indium.

Paraffin compositions including mainly even carbon number paraffins, and a method for manufacturing the same, is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the method involves contacting naturally occurring fatty acid/glycerides with hydrogen in a slurry bubble column reactor containing bimetallic catalysts with equivalent particle diameters from about 10 to about 400 micron. The even carbon number compositions are particularly useful as phase change material.

The invention relates to a method for producing 1,3-butanediene from a butanediol feedstock that includes: a) A step for esterification of butanediol by a carboxylic acid to form the corresponding diester; b) A step for pyrolysis of the diester effluent obtained from step a); c) A step for distillation fed by at least the carboxylic acid effluent obtained from step a), and producing an aqueous distillate and a carboxylic acid residue; d) A step for drying the carboxylic acid that is fed at least by the carboxylic acid residue obtained from step c) and producing a water effluent and a carboxylic acid product that feeds step a).

The present disclosure relates to a process for the hydrodeoxygenation of vegetable oils or animal fats to produce green diesel, which comprises contacting the vegetable oil or animal fat with a Nickel-Molybdenum or Cobalt-Molybdenum catalyst supported on alumina-titania or titania, respectively; in a fixed bed reactor in the presence of hydrogen. The process involves hydrocracking, hydrogenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, carried out in a fixed bed reactor at temperature of about 270 C. to about 360 C., pressure of about 40 kg.sub.f/cm.sup.2 to about 60 kg.sub.f/cm.sup.2, liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) between about 0.8 h.sup.1 to about 3.0 h.sup.1, and H.sub.2/oil ratio of about 2,700 ft.sup.3/bbl to about 7,000 ft.sup.3/bbl, that allows to obtain a conversion up to 99% and up to 92.7% yield on green diesel.

The present invention is related to a process for the conversion of used cooking oil into aromatics (BTEX) hydrocarbon as petrochemical building blocks. The process provides an aromatic rich hydrocarbon from used cooking oil in the presence and absence of steam/hydrogen over supported bimetallic alumina-silicates zeolites. The catalyst contains no precious metal entities and may contain one metal form zinc (Zn), a second metal (X), comprising at least one selected from cobalt (Co), gallium (Ga), chromium (Cr), Iron (Fe) and third elements from cerium (Ce), boron (B) supported on alumina-silicates zeolites. The present invention relates to a catalyst excluding novel metals to produce aromatics in a continuous fixed bed reactor system under atmospheric pressure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a low-temperature process to produce aromatic over alumina-silicates zeolites. The process provides used cooking oil conversion of 84-89% with aromatic selectivity of 87-91%.

Processes for producing two or more different C.sub.2-C.sub.6 linear or branched olefins are disclosed herein. In one exemplary implementation, the process can include contacting a first feed stream that includes -valerolactone with one or more first catalysts in a first reactor to form a mixture. The mixture includes two or more different C.sub.2-C.sub.6 linear or branched olefins at a yield of at least 60%, and the one or more first catalysts include a doped zeolite. Processes for converting levulinic acid to -valerolactone are also disclosed herein.

Processes for producing two or more different C.sub.2-C.sub.6 linear or branched olefins are disclosed herein. In one exemplary implementation, the process can include contacting a first feed stream that includes -valerolactone with one or more first catalysts in a first reactor to form a mixture. The mixture includes two or more different C.sub.2-C.sub.6 linear or branched olefins at a yield of at least 60%, and the one or more first catalysts include a doped zeolite. Processes for converting levulinic acid to -valerolactone are also disclosed herein.

Hydrodeoxygenating a biorenewable feed that is concentrated in free fatty acids with 10-13 carbon atoms at a moderate hydrodeoxygenation ratio that is less than the ratio of hydrodeoxygenation utilized for traditional biorenewable feeds such as vegetable oil or even mineral feedstocks, normal paraffins in the range desired by the detergents industry can be produced. Either hydroisomerization or an iso-normal separation can be performed to provide green fuel streams. Two reactors are proposed, one for hydrodeoxygenation of the biorenewable feed that is concentrated in free fatty acids with 10-13 carbon atoms and the other for a traditional biorenewable feed or even a mineral feed operated at a higher deoxygenation ratio.

Hydrodeoxygenating a biorenewable feed that is concentrated in free fatty acids with 10-13 carbon atoms at a moderate hydrodeoxygenation ratio that is less than the ratio of hydrodeoxygenation utilized for traditional biorenewable feeds such as vegetable oil or even mineral feedstocks, normal paraffins in the range desired by the detergents industry can be produced. Either hydroisomerization or an iso-normal separation can be performed to provide green fuel streams. Two reactors are proposed, one for hydrodeoxygenation of the biorenewable feed that is concentrated in free fatty acids with 10-13 carbon atoms and the other for a traditional biorenewable feed or even a mineral feed operated at a higher deoxygenation ratio.