Provided are methods for removing one or more components from a butanol based composition. The methods comprise providing a butanol based composition comprising one or more components, targeting at least one component or a combination thereof for reduction, and processing said butanol based composition such that the at least one targeted component is substantially removed. The butanol based composition can, for example, be bio-produced.

The present disclosure relates to a catalyst composition comprising copper and iron on a support for use in a process for the synthesis of higher alcohols from a syngas feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the catalyst composition being remarkable in that the support is one or more zeolite, in that the total content of iron and copper is ranging from 1 to 10 wt. % based on the total weight of the catalyst composition and as determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, in that the Cu/Fe bulk molar ratio is ranging from 1.1:1.0 to 5.0:1.0 as determined by XRF spectroscopy.

The present disclosure relates to a catalyst composition comprising copper and iron on a support for use in a process for the synthesis of higher alcohols from a syngas feed stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the catalyst composition being remarkable in that the support is one or more zeolite, in that the total content of iron and copper is ranging from 1 to 10 wt. % based on the total weight of the catalyst composition and as determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, in that the Cu/Fe bulk molar ratio is ranging from 1.1:1.0 to 5.0:1.0 as determined by XRF spectroscopy.

A process for the manufacture of butanol, acetone and/or other renewable chemicals is provided wherein the process utilises one or more of the group comprising by-products of the manufacture of malt whisky, such as draff, pot ale and/or spent lees, biomass substrates, such as paper, sludge from paper manufacture and spent grains from distillers and brewers, and diluents, such as water and spent liquid from other fermentations. The process comprises treating a substrate to hydrolyse it and fermenting the treated substrate at an initial pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.0. Also provided is a biofuel comprising butanol manufactured according to the process of the invention.

A process for the manufacture of butanol, acetone and/or other renewable chemicals is provided wherein the process utilises one or more of the group comprising by-products of the manufacture of malt whisky, such as draff, pot ale and/or spent lees, biomass substrates, such as paper, sludge from paper manufacture and spent grains from distillers and brewers, and diluents, such as water and spent liquid from other fermentations. The process comprises treating a substrate to hydrolyse it and fermenting the treated substrate at an initial pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.0. Also provided is a biofuel comprising butanol manufactured according to the process of the invention.

A process for producing ethylene and at least one of butanol and an alkyl tert-butyl ether from field butane includes separating the field butane into an n-butane stream and an isobutane stream; cracking the n-butane stream to obtain a cracked product stream comprising n-butane, 1-butene, 2-butene, butadienes, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and at least one of the following: (1) separating the cracked product stream to obtain a butane stream and a butene stream, and reacting the butene stream with water to obtain a fuel additive comprising butanol, and (2) dehydrogenating the isobutane stream in a dehydrogenation unit to form an isobutene stream and reacting the isobutene stream with an aliphatic alcohol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.

A process for producing ethylene and at least one of butanol and an alkyl tert-butyl ether from field butane includes separating the field butane into an n-butane stream and an isobutane stream; cracking the n-butane stream to obtain a cracked product stream comprising n-butane, 1-butene, 2-butene, butadienes, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and at least one of the following: (1) separating the cracked product stream to obtain a butane stream and a butene stream, and reacting the butene stream with water to obtain a fuel additive comprising butanol, and (2) dehydrogenating the isobutane stream in a dehydrogenation unit to form an isobutene stream and reacting the isobutene stream with an aliphatic alcohol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a distillation unit; withdrawing a 2-butene stream from the distillation unit: passing the 2-butene stream through a second hydrogenation unit producing a 1-butene stream; passing at least a portion of the 1-butene stream through a separation unit; and passing the 1-butene stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a distillation unit; withdrawing a 2-butene stream from the distillation unit: passing the 2-butene stream through a second hydrogenation unit producing a 1-butene stream; passing at least a portion of the 1-butene stream through a separation unit; and passing the 1-butene stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive.

The present invention is directed to a composition for use in recovering an alcohol from an aqueous solution the composition comprising: a) a recovery solution comprising at least one tertiary amine containing compound and at least one enolisable carbonyl; and, b) an aqueous process solution comprising the alcohol, wherein the recovery solution and the aqueous process solution are in direct contact, not miscible and at least a portion of the alcohol migrates from the aqueous process solution into the recovery solution.