The present invention relates to a composition comprising lignin and a solvent where the lignin is functionalized with an ether group.

The invention relates generally to methods for the production of biofuels from organic matter, the methods comprising treating the organic matter with an aqueous solvent and at least one additional catalyst under conditions of heat and pressure. The invention also relates to biofuel products obtainable by the methods.

The present invention refers to a process for catalytic fractionation of peat, coir, peat-like materials or mosses into a non-pyrolytic bio-oil and a sterile solid fraction with similar volume and structural function to the starting material. The inventive process is useful for a variety of interesting applications, starting from raw peat with a water content of up to 80% resulting in a an oil, rich in polyols and aliphatic molecules.

A process for the production of an aromatics-rich hydrocarbons useful as gasoline component from solid biomass is provided. The process provides for longer condensation catalyst life by contacting the stable oxygenated hydrocarbon intermediate produced from digestion and hydrodoxygenation of the solid biomass to a binder-free shaped ZSM-5 catalyst.

Methods are provided for upgrading of pyrolysis carbon in order to allow for conversion of the pyrolysis carbon into higher value products. Instead of attempting to convert methane into a high value carbon product (such as carbon nanotubes) and H.sub.2 in a single reaction step, pyrolysis conditions can be used to form H.sub.2 and pyrolysis carbon. The pyrolysis carbon can then be treated in order to convert the pyrolysis carbon (H to C atomic ratio of less than 0.20) into a product with a higher hydrogen content (H to C atomic ratio of 0.25-0.9 or 2.0-7.0 wt % H). The treatment can correspond to exposing the pyrolysis carbon with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, exposing the pyrolysis carbon to conditions for alkylation, or a sequential combination thereof. This can convert the pyrolysis carbon into heavy hydrocarbon products that are resin-like solids at room temperature.

Systems and methods of processing coal to form mesophase pitch include performing a low-severity direct coal liquefaction (LSDCL) process on a coal feedstock to produce a coal tar pitch therefrom. The systems and methods can include contacting coal directly with a catalyst in the presence of a solvent, pressurizing the coal in direct contact with the catalyst in the presence of the solvent to a predetermined pressure of about 1000 psia or less, heating the coal in direct contact with the catalyst in the presence of the solvent to a predetermined temperature of about 380 C. or less, and liquefying the coal to form a coal tar pitch. The coal tar pitch can be thermally treated to a liquid crystal phase exhibiting anisotropic spheres of mesophase and spun to form carbon fibers.

The present invention provides a catalytic pyrolysis process for the production of renewable diesel fuel. The present invention provides a process for preparing renewable diesel fuel, comprising preparing renewable diesel fuel by a) fractionating a mixture comprising renewable aromatics to produce a first fraction boiling at 180 C. to 350 C. at atmospheric conditions, and a fraction boiling below the boiling point of the first fraction, blending at least a portion of the first fraction with at least one distillate cut having lower aromatic content than the first fraction, and b) hydrogenating a blend of the first fraction and distillate cut having lower aromatic content to produce a hydrogenated fraction comprising a renewable diesel fuel.

A process for the high temperature conversion of a cellulosic material into a bio-oil, wherein, under hydrogen atmosphere and in the presence of a catalyst, the cellulosic material is contacted in a reaction vessel with a liquid solvent, wherein water is present from 5% up to 80 wt %, based on the total amount of cellulosic material and liquid solvent present in the vessel, at an a controlled operating pressure of from equal to or more than 2.0 MPa to equal to or less than 13.0 MPa, wherein the partial hydrogen pressure contributes from equal to or more than 1.0 MPa to equal to or less than 6.0 MPa, and the total vapour pressure being lower than the autogenous pressure at the operating temperature and contributing in the range of from equal to or more than 1.0 MPa to equal to or less than 7.0 MPa, to produce a product mixture comprising bio-oil.

A method of obtaining depolymerized lignin from biomass using a transition metal catalyst and a solvent mixture of organic solvent and water. The invention further relates to a composition obtainable by the method and the production of fuel.

The present invention relates to a process for the hydroconversion of a feedstock including a plastic fraction (102), notably derived from plastic waste, and a heavy hydrocarbon fraction (101), notably a heavy hydrocarbon fraction containing a portion of at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 80% by weight, having a boiling temperature of at least 300 C. Hydroconversion involves one or more ebullated bed or hybrid ebullated-entrained bed reactors (20), and preferably two successive hydroconversion steps, in order to produce higher-quality, lower-boiling materials, for example for fuel production purposes, while at the same time allowing waste plastics to be upgraded.