The present invention provides catalysts, methods, and reactor systems for converting oxygenated hydrocarbons to oxygenated compounds. The invention includes methods for producing cyclic ethers, monooxygenates, dioxygenates, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and alcohols from oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, and the like, using catalysts containing Group VIII metals. The oxygenated compounds produced are useful in the production of liquid fuels, chemicals, and other products.

The present invention provides catalysts, methods, and reactor systems for converting oxygenated hydrocarbons to oxygenated compounds. The invention includes methods for producing cyclic ethers, monooxygenates, dioxygenates, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and alcohols from oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, and the like, using catalysts containing Group VIII metals. The oxygenated compounds produced are useful in the production of liquid fuels, chemicals, and other products.

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol comprising the steps of pyrolyzing a monosaccharide and hydrogenating the product composition in the presence of a catalyst and a solvent, wherein the pressure of the hydrogenation reaction is 40 bar or greater.

Process for preparing monoethylene glycol (MEG) by metal-catalyzed reaction of a dialkyl oxalate of the formula I ##STR00001##
where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each, independently of one another, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl or isopropyl, with hydrogen (H.sub.2), wherein the dialkyl oxalate (I) is used as melt or as a solution in a solvent, dialkyl oxalate (I) and H.sub.2 are used in a molar ratio of H.sub.2:dialkyl oxalate (I) in the range from 4.0 to 30 and the reaction is carried out continuously in a reactor at a cross-sectional loading of 10 m/s, a temperature in the range from 150 to 270 C., a pressure in the range from 150 to 390 bar and in the presence of a chromium-free heterogeneous catalyst comprising copper.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

There are provided herein novel catalytic approaches of producing deoxygenated bio-oil in fast pyrolysis reaction conditions. In one embodiment, HZSM-5 zeolite was modified by loading bimetallic catalyst compounds, resulting in new catalysts including MoAg/HZSM-5 and MoZn/HZSM-5. Both catalysts showed higher reactivity towards methane activation than molybdenum-only loaded catalysts. MoAg/HZSM-5 tended to catalyze dealkylation of alkylated benzenes thus yielded a product with high selectivity towards benzene. A dramatic increase in the yield of aromatic hydrocarbons was noticed when MoZn/HZSM-5 was used for catalysis of switchgrass under methane atmosphere. The final liquid hydrocarbons targeted according to this embodiment are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, naphthalene (BTEXN).

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

The present invention provides processes, methods, and systems for converting biomass-derived feedstocks to liquid fuels and chemicals. The method generally includes the reaction of a hydrolysate from a biomass deconstruction process with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a reaction product comprising one of more oxygenated compounds. The process also includes reacting the reaction product with a condensation catalyst to produce C.sub.4+ compounds useful as fuels and chemicals.