Acyclic monterpene alcohols, like linalool, to be converted through a series of highly efficient catalytic reactions a biogasoline blending component, and a drop-in biodiesel fuel.

A method for preparing polybutene includes the steps of: supplying a C4 mixture to an isomerization reactor in which (i) 1-butene is isomerized into 2-butene by a hydrogen isomerization reaction using an isomerization catalyst in an isomerization zone of the isomerization reactor and (ii) iso-butene and 2-butene are separated by fractional distillation in a fractional distillation zone; supplying a C4 mixture containing 2-butene which is separated in the isomerization reactor to a skeletal isomerization reactor, in which a part of normal-butene is skeletal isomerized into iso-butene by a skeletal isomerization reaction using a skeletal isomerization catalyst, and the obtained skeletal isomerization mixture is supplied and recycled to the isomerization reactor; and supplying (i) a raw material containing the iso-butene of high concentration and which is separated from the isomerization reactor and (ii) a polymerization catalyst to a polybutene polymerization reactor and thereby producing polybutene by a polymerization reaction.

In a process for dehydrogenating cyclohexylbenzene and/or alkyl-substituted cyclohexylbenzene compounds, a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising at least one Group 10 metal compound on a support is heated in the presence of hydrogen from a first temperature from 0° C. to 200° C. to a second, higher temperature from 60° C. to 500° C. at a ramp rate no more than 100° C./hour. The dehydrogenation catalyst is contacted with hydrogen at the second temperature for a time from 3 to 300 hours to produce an activated dehydrogenation catalyst. A feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene and/or an alkyl-substituted cyclohexylbenzene compound is then contacted with hydrogen in the presence of the activated dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising biphenyl and/or an alkyl-substituted biphenyl compound.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for deoxygenating pyrolysis oil. A method includes contacting a pyrolysis oil with a deoxygenation catalyst in a first reactor at deoxygenation conditions to produce a first reactor effluent. The first reactor effluent has a first oxygen concentration and a first hydrogen concentration, based on hydrocarbons in the first reactor effluent, and the first reactor effluent includes an aromatic compound. The first reactor effluent is contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a second reactor at conditions that deoxygenate the first reactor effluent while preserving the aromatic compound to produce a second reactor effluent. The second reactor effluent has a second oxygen concentration lower than the first oxygen concentration and a second hydrogen concentration that is equal to or lower than the first hydrogen concentration, where the second oxygen concentration and the second hydrogen concentration are based on the hydrocarbons in the second reactor effluent.

A novel catalyst composition and its use in the dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins. The catalyst comprises a Group VIII noble metal and a metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, vanadium, chromium, titanium, and combinations thereof, on a support. The Group VIII noble metal can be platinum, palladium, osmium, rhodium, rubidium, iridium, and combinations thereof. The support can be silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, silica-alumina, cerium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, metal modified silica, silica-pillared clays, silica-pillared micas, metal oxide modified silica-pillared mica, silica-pillared tetrasilicic mica, silica-pillared taeniolite, zeolite, molecular sieve, and combinations thereof. The catalyst composition is an active and selective catalyst for the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins.

In a process for producing a methyl-substituted biphenyl compound, at least one methyl-substituted cyclohexylbenzene compound of the formula: ##STR00001##
wherein each of m and n is independently 1, 2, or 3, is contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst to produce a hydrogenation reaction product comprising at least one methyl-substituted bicyclohexane compound, and the methyl-substituted bicyclohexane compound is then contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising at least one methyl-substituted biphenyl compound.

System and method for producing 1-butene are disclosed. The method includes dehydrogenating butane to form a mixture comprising butene isomers. 1-butene is separated from the mixture using a system that includes a membrane. The system also includes an isomerizing unit for isomerizing cis-2-butene and trans-2-butene to form additional 1-butene.

According to one or more embodiments disclosed herein, methods for operating dehydrogenation processes during non-normal operating conditions, such as at start-up, shut-down, system recycle, or unit trip, are described. The methods may include contacting a feed stream with a catalyst in a reactor portion of a reactor system to form a reactor effluent stream, separating at least a portion of the reactor effluent stream from the catalyst, passing the catalyst to a catalyst processing portion and processing the catalyst, wherein processing the catalyst comprises contacting the catalyst with oxygen, passing the catalyst from the processing portion to the reactor portion, wherein the catalyst exiting the processing portion comprises at least 0.001 wt. % oxygen, and contacting the catalyst with supplemental hydrogen, the contacting removing at least a portion of the oxygen from the catalyst by a combustion reaction.

A hydrocarbon production method for producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon mixture includes: a first extractive distillation step of performing extractive distillation of an extractive distillation target to obtain a fraction (A) in which isoprene and piperylene are enriched and a fraction (B) in which a linear hydrocarbon and a branched hydrocarbon are enriched; a first distillation step of obtaining a fraction (C) in which isoprene is enriched and a fraction (D) in which piperylene is enriched from the fraction (A); a dehydrogenation step of performing dehydrogenation or oxidative dehydrogenation of either or both of the linear hydrocarbon and the branched hydrocarbon contained in the fraction (B) to obtain a dehydrogenated product; and a recovery step of supplying the dehydrogenated product to an extractive distillation column or a distillation column and obtaining isoprene and/or piperylene from the dehydrogenated product.

Described is a process for producing field butane. The process includes increasing the n-butane concentration in field butane. The process may include a concentration process that includes distillation and a thermal cracking process.