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 invention provides a composition comprising 10-40 mass % of C.sub.8-30 linear alkanes, up to 20 mass % of C.sub.7-20 aromatic hydrocarbons, at least 90 mass % of which are monoaromatic, and no more than 1 mass % in total of oxygen-containing compounds; wherein the total amount of C.sub.8-30 alkanes in the composition is 50-95 mass %, and the total amount of C.sub.8-30 alkanes, C.sub.7-20 aromatic hydrocarbons and C.sub.8-30 cycloalkanes is at least 95 mass %; wherein the composition comprises 45-90 mass % in total of C.sub.8-30 cycloalkanes and C.sub.8-30 branched alkanes; and wherein the amounts are based on the mass of the composition. Also provided is a method of producing the composition comprising the step of hydroprocessing a biological feedstock using a catalyst and the step of fractionating the product of the hydroprocessing step.

A method for producing a renewable base oil from a feedstock of biological origin includes providing a feedstock, the feedstock including: 2-95 wt % of a mixture of free fatty acids; 5-98 wt % fatty acid glycerols selected from mono-glycerides, di-glycerides and tri-glycerides of fatty acids; 0-50 wt % of one or more compounds selected from the list consisting of: fatty acid esters of the non-glycerol type, fatty amides and fatty alcohols; a major part of the feedstock being a mixture of free fatty acids and fatty acid glycerols; subjecting all or part of the feedstock to ketonisation reaction conditions where two free fatty acids react to yield a ketone stream, and subjecting the ketone stream to both hydrodeoxygenation and to hydroisomerisation reaction conditions, to yield a deoxygenated and isomerised base oil product stream containing the renewable base oil.

Hydrotreatment of biological oil is disclosed for producing renewable base oil and a diesel oil from low value biological oils. Low value biological oils containing free fatty acids and fatty acid esters can be processed into a renewable base oil and a renewable diesel oil in an efficient manner by first separating at least part of the free fatty acids from the feedstock and then processing separately this free acid feed in a ketonisation reaction followed by hydrodeoxygenation and hydroisomerisation reactions to yield a renewable base oil stream. The remaining free fatty acid depleted feed is processed in a separate hydrodeoxygenation and hydroisomerisation step to yield a renewable diesel stream.

A C.sub.31 renewable base oil is disclosed that is suitable as a base oil to provide low viscosity base oils, such as having both low Noack volatility and low CCS-30 C. viscosity and/or to provide low viscosity base oils at the same time having a combination of acceptable HTHS and KV100 to allow the industry's base oil blenders to formulate high quality engine oils, such as SAE grade 0W-20, 0W-16, 0W-12 or 0W-8.

A system and method of presulfurizing a catalyst. The presulfurizing of the catalyst includes contacting the catalyst with elemental sulfur, an olefin, and a triglyceride to form a mixture, and heating the mixture to give a presulfurized catalyst.

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons wherein a feed is hydrotreated in a hydrotreating step and isomerised in an isomerisation step, and a feed comprising fresh feed containing more than 5 wt % of free fatty acids and at least one diluting agent is hydrotreated at a reaction temperature of 200-400 C., in a hydrotreating reactor in the presence of catalyst, and the ratio of the diluting agent/fresh feed is 5-30:1.

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.

Various techniques are disclosed for pretreating municipal solid waste (MSW) and other biomass-containing feedstocks that may be of a poorer quality and consequently more difficult, or even impossible, to convert to higher value liquid products (e.g., transportation fuels) using conventional processes. Such conventional processes may otherwise be satisfactory for the conversion of the biomass portion of the feedstock alone. The pretreatment of biomass-containing feedstocks may generally include steps carried out prior to a hydropyrolysis step and optionally further steps, in order to change one or more characteristics of the feedstock, rendering it more easily upgradable.

The present invention relates to a composition and a method of preparing the composition where the composition comprising functionalized lignin having a weight average molecular weight (M.sub.w) of at least 1,000 g/mol and a green carrier liquid comprising depolymerized functional lignin, wherein the functionalized lignin is dissolved in the green carrier liquid and wherein the amount of depolymerized functionalized lignin compounds in the composition is higher than the amount of functionalized lignin.