The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for producing a policosanol having a specific chromatographic fingerprint. The apparatus of the present disclosure has a feed tank and receiving tanks which are connected to a vacuum system. The method of the present disclosure is carried out by a high vacuum rectification process and includes: firstly, feeding a saponified crude alkanol into a melting tank in which the material is melted and then flows into the feed tank, and then injecting the material into a rectifying still using a delivery pump, followed by first rectification under vacuum condition and sequential collection of fractions at different phases from the tower top and stillage residue from the tower bottom; and after the completion of the rectification of the first batch crude product, carrying out second feeding on the basis of consistent vacuum in the feed tank and the rectifying tower.

The invention provides a process for preparing an alcohol by hydrogenating an ester which is obtained by alkoxycarbonylating a C2 to C20 hydrocarbon having at least one multiple bond, preferably having at least one olefinic double bond, in which the homogeneous catalyst system used is separated from the product mixture by means of membrane separation. In a development of the present invention, the ester thus formed is converted to another ester by transesterification and then hydrogenated.

The invention provides a process for preparing an alcohol by hydrogenating an ester which is obtained by alkoxycarbonylating a C2 to C20 hydrocarbon having at least one multiple bond, preferably having at least one olefinic double bond, in which the homogeneous catalyst system used is separated from the product mixture by means of membrane separation. In a development of the present invention, the ester thus formed is converted to another ester by transesterification and then hydrogenated.

The present disclosure relates to a process for converting syngas to C2+ alcohols, said process comprising the steps of providing a reactor, of providing a catalyst composition and one or more acidic materials within said reactor, of providing a feed stream comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO; and of contacting said feed stream with said catalyst composition and said one or more acidic materials under reaction conditions to provide product stream. Said process is remarkable in that said catalyst composition comprises an active phase comprising CuFe deposited on a carbon-containing support, and the one or more acidic materials are one or more zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio ranging between 2 and 200.

The present disclosure relates to a process for converting syngas to C2+ alcohols, said process comprising the steps of providing a reactor, of providing a catalyst composition and one or more acidic materials within said reactor, of providing a feed stream comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO; and of contacting said feed stream with said catalyst composition and said one or more acidic materials under reaction conditions to provide product stream. Said process is remarkable in that said catalyst composition comprises an active phase comprising CuFe deposited on a carbon-containing support, and the one or more acidic materials are one or more zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio ranging between 2 and 200.

A process for producing hydrogen-lean syngas includes the steps of reacting, via a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reaction, a CPO reactant mixture in a CPO reactor to produce the hydrogen-lean syngas, wherein the CPO reactant mixture includes hydrocarbons and oxygen. The hydrocarbons include greater than or equal to about 3 mol % C2+ alkanes, wherein the CPO reactor include a CPO catalyst, and wherein the hydrogen-lean syngas include hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, and unreacted hydrocarbons The hydrogen-lean syngas is characterized by a molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO) in a range of from about 0.8 to about 1.6. A system for carrying out the process is also provided.

A process for producing hydrogen-lean syngas includes the steps of reacting, via a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reaction, a CPO reactant mixture in a CPO reactor to produce the hydrogen-lean syngas, wherein the CPO reactant mixture includes hydrocarbons and oxygen. The hydrocarbons include greater than or equal to about 3 mol % C2+ alkanes, wherein the CPO reactor include a CPO catalyst, and wherein the hydrogen-lean syngas include hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, and unreacted hydrocarbons The hydrogen-lean syngas is characterized by a molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO) in a range of from about 0.8 to about 1.6. A system for carrying out the process is also provided.

The present disclosure relates to a process for converting syngas to C2+ alcohols, said process comprising the steps of providing a reactor, of providing a catalyst composition and one or more acidic materials within said reactor, of providing a feed stream comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO; and of contacting said feed stream with said catalyst composition and said one or more acidic materials under reaction conditions to provide product stream. Said process is remarkable in that said catalyst composition comprises an active phase comprising CuFe deposited on a carbon-containing support, and the one or more acidic materials are one or more zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio ranging between 2 and 200.

The present disclosure relates to a process for converting syngas to C2+ alcohols, said process comprising the steps of providing a reactor, of providing a catalyst composition and one or more acidic materials within said reactor, of providing a feed stream comprising a mixture of H.sub.2 and CO; and of contacting said feed stream with said catalyst composition and said one or more acidic materials under reaction conditions to provide product stream. Said process is remarkable in that said catalyst composition comprises an active phase comprising CuFe deposited on a carbon-containing support, and the one or more acidic materials are one or more zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio ranging between 2 and 200.

The disclosure is directed to a method and a system for recovering at least one organic product from fermentation broth. The disclosure relates to the use of liquid-liquid extraction and/or distillation to recover at least one organic product from a fermentation broth. In an embodiment, the recovery of the product is completed in a manner that minimizes stress on the microbial biomass, such that it remains viable, at least in part, and may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, with minimal water extraction which results in increased efficiency in the fermentation process.