Process for liquefying a cellulosic material

Abstract

A process for liquefying a cellulosic material is provided comprising hydrolysing the cellulosic material in the presence of an acid catalyst in a solvent mixture to produce a liquefied product, wherein the solvent mixture contains water and in the range of 5 to 95 wt % of a co-solvent and wherein the co-solvent is present in an amount of less than or equal to 90% by weight based on the weight of water and co-solvent, which co-solvent comprises one or more polar solvents, and wherein the solvent mixture is at least partly recycled.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of European Application No. 10162742.0 filed Mar. 12, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a process for liquefying a cellulosic material. The process provides products which may be converted into biofuel components for use in fuel formulations.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Lignocellulosic materials which may be converted into valuable intermediates, which intermediates may be further processed into fuel components, are of considerable interest as feedstocks for the production of sustainable biofuels. Biofuels are combustible fuels, typically derived from biological sources, which result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels used for blending with conventional gasoline fuel components are alcohols, in particular ethanol. Biofuels such as fatty acid methyl esters derived from rapeseed and palm oil can be blended with conventional diesel components for us...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention provides a process for liquefying a cellulosic material comprising hydrolysing the cellulosic material in the presence of an acid catalyst in a solvent mixture to produce a liquefied product, wherein the solvent mixture contains water and in the range of 5 to 95 wt % of a co-solvent and wherein the co-solvent is present in an amount of less than or equal to 90% by weight based on the weight of water and co-solvent, which co-solvent comprises one or more polar solvents, and wherein the solvent mixture is at least partly recycled.

[0013]With the process, valuable monomeric and oligomeric products may advantageously be prepared starting from materials which are readily available from biomass. These products may subsequently be converted into hydrocarbons or oxygen-lean biofuels by refinery technologies such as hydrodeoxygenation or thermal-, catalytic- or hydro-cracking processes. Therefore, it also provides a process for preparing a biofuel from the liquefied cellulosic material produced.

[0002]The present invention relates to a process for liquefying a cellulosic material. The process provides products which may be converted into biofuel components for use in fuel formulations.

Problems solved by technology

However, these biofuels are derived from edible feedstock and so compete with food production.

The process is suitable for its purpose, but unfortunately the large amounts of expensive solvent that are needed make the process economically less attractive.

A disadvantage of the described process is that the process produces large amounts of low-value insoluble humins and, therefore, offers poor utilization of the lignocellulosic feedstock.

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