The present invention provides methods, reactor systems and catalysts for converting biomass and biomass-derived feedstocks to C.sub.8+ hydrocarbons using heterogenous catalysts. The product stream may be separated and further processed for use in chemical applications, or as a neat fuel or a blending component in jet fuel and diesel fuel, or as heavy oils for lubricant and/or fuel oil applications.

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.

Techniques for processing biomass are disclosed herein. A method of preparing cellulosic ethanol having 100% biogenic carbon content as determined by ASTM 6866-18, includes treating ground corn cobs with electron beam radiation and saccharifying the irradiated ground corn cob to produce sugars. The method also includes fermenting the sugars with a microorganism. In addition, an unblended cellulosic-biomass derived gasoline with a research octane number of greater than about 87, as determined by ASTM D2699 is disclosed.

The present application discloses low temperature, low pressure methods (LTLP) for upgrading and/or stabilizing bio-oil or a bio-oil fraction. One method comprises providing a bio-oil or bio-oil fraction and hydrogen, which are reacted in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature of less than 150 C. and a pressure of less than 100 bar (absolute) to produce a hydrogenated liquid oil at a carbon yield of over 75%. Another method comprises providing a bio-oil or bio-oil fraction, providing oxygen reducing reaction conditions, and reacting the bio-oil or bio-oil fraction under the oxygen reducing reaction conditions at LTLP to produce an upgraded bio-oil product containing fewer carbonyls than the bio-oil or bio-oil fraction. Yet another method comprises providing a bio-oil or bio-oil fraction and a solution comprising one or more fermentation organisms and a sugar source. The solution and bio-oil or bio-oil fraction are combined to obtain a fermentation mixture, which is incubated at 15 C. to 30 C. for 16 to 72 hours to produce an upgraded bio-oil fermentation product containing fewer carbonyls than the bio-oil or bio-oil fraction.

A process for deoxygenating a pyrolysis oil stream comprises purposely limiting complete deoxygenation of the pyrolysis oil stream having a high oxygenate concentration to provide a hydrotreated pyrolysis oil stream that is sufficiently reduced in oxygenate content to mix with oil. By not fully deoxygenating the pyrolysis oil stream, the deoxygenation reaction can be run with little risk of undesirable polymerization reactions plugging the reactor.

A family of highly charged crystalline microporous metallophosphate molecular sieves designated PST-17 has been synthesized. These metallophosphates are represented by the empirical formula of:
R.sup.p+.sub.rA.sub.m.sup.+M.sub.xE.sub.yPO.sub.z
where A is an alkali metal such as potassium, R is a quaternary ammonium cation such as ethyltrimethylammonium, M is a divalent metal such as zinc and E is a trivalent framework element such as aluminum or gallium. The PST-17 family of molecular sieves are stabilized by combinations of alkali and organoammonium cations, enabling unique metalloalumino(gallo)phosphate compositions and exhibit the BPH topology. The PST-17 family of molecular sieves has catalytic properties for carrying out various hydrocarbon conversion processes and separation properties for separating at least one component.

A method for the catalytic conversion of ketoacids, including methods for increasing the molecular weight of ketoacids, the method comprising the steps of providing in a reactor a feedstock comprising at least one ketoacid. The feedstock is then subjected to one or more CC coupling reaction(s) in the presence of hydrogen, and in the presence of a catalyst system having both hydrogenation activity and CC coupling activity.

A process for preparing a catalyst comprises coating substantial internal surfaces of porous inorganic powders with titanium oxide to form titanium oxide-coated inorganic powders. After the coating, an extrudate comprising the titanium oxide-coated inorganic powders is formed and calcined to form a catalyst support. Then, the catalyst support is impregnated with a solution containing one or more salts of metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, cobalt, and nickel.

Catalytic conversion of ketoacids is disclosed, including methods for increasing the molecular weight of ketoacids. An exemlary method includes providing in a reactor a feedstock having at least one ketoacid. The feedstock is then subjected to one or more CC-coupling reaction(s) in the presence of a catalyst system having a first metal oxide and a second metal oxide.

The present invention relates to methods for producing metal-supported thin layer skeletal catalyst structures, to methods for producing catalyst support structures without separately applying an intermediate washcoat layer, and to novel catalyst compositions produced by these methods. Catalyst precursors may be interdiffused with the underlying metal support then activated to create catalytically active skeletal alloy surfaces. The resulting metal-anchored skeletal layers provide increased conversion per geometric area compared to conversions from other types of supported alloy catalysts of similar bulk compositions, and provide resistance to activity loss when used under severe on-stream conditions. Particular compositions of the metal-supported skeletal catalyst alloy structures can be used for conventional steam methane reforming to produce syngas from natural gas and steam, for hydrodeoxygenation of pyrolysis bio-oils, and for other metal-catalyzed reactions inter alia.