Reductive amination of glycolaldehyde (GA), the smallest sugar molecule and obtainable from biomass, creates a versatile platform for ethylamine products, potentially replacing current pathways via...

Glycolaldehyde as a Bio-Based C-2 Platform Chemical: Catalytic Reductive Amination of Vicinal Hydroxyl Aldehydes

Full utilization of oxygen in biomass can greatly improve its atomic efficiency because of its nature of containing 40%–45% oxygen. In this work, we achieved a complete conversion of ethylene glyco...

Oxidant-Free Transformation of Ethylene Glycol toward Glycolic Acid in Water

The invention provides a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, wherein the process comprises the steps of i) providing the starting material and hydrogen to a first reactor, which first reactor operates with mixing; ii) reacting said starting material and hydrogen in the first reactor in the presence of solvent and a catalyst system; iii) continuously removing a first reactor product stream from the first reactor; iv) supplying at least a portion of the first reactor product stream to a second reactor, which reactor operates essentially in a plug flow manner; and v) further reacting the first reactor product stream with hydrogen in the presence of a solvent and optionally a catalyst system in the second reactor.

Process for the preparation of glycols

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol comprising the steps of pyrolysing 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 the preparation of ethylene glycol from sugars

Ethylene glycol is prepared from a carbohydrate source by reaction of the carbohydrate source with hydrogen in a continuous process, wherein hydrogen, the carbohydrate source and a liquid diluent are continuously fed into a continuous stirred tank reactor wherein a catalyst system is present, which catalyst system comprises a tungsten compound and at least one hydrogenolysis metal selected from the groups 8, 9 or 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, to achieve the reaction between the carbohydrate source and hydrogen to ethylene glycol; wherein continuously a product mixture comprising ethylene glycol and diluent is removed from the continuous stirred tank reactor; and wherein continuously or periodically further at least a tungsten compound is added to the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR).

Continuous process for preparing ethylene glycol from a carbohydrate source

A continuous process for converting carbohydrates to ethylene and propylene glycol. The carbohydrates are mixed with water and passed through a reactor at a temperature that hydrolyzes the carbohydrate mixture at least partially to monosaccharides. The reactor has a first zone comprising a retro-aldol catalyst and a second zone comprising a reducing catalyst. The aldose is converted in the first zone into glycolaldehyde by the retro-aldol catalyst and the glycolaldehyde, in the presence of hydrogen, is converted to ethylene glycol in the second zone of the reactor. The reaction products are removed from the reactor and the ethylene glycol is recovered. The selectivity to propylene glycol can be enhanced via feeding ketose as the carbohydrate.

Process for the continuous production of ethylene glycol from carbohydrates

Continuous processes for making ethylene glycol form aldohexose-yielding carbohydrates are disclosed which enhance the selectivity to ethylene glycol.

Continuous processes for the highly selective conversion of aldohexose-yielding carbohydrate to ethylene glycol

By this invention processes are provided for the conversion of carbohydrate to ethylene glycol by retro-aldol catalysis and sequential hydrogenation using control methods having at least one of acetol (hydroxyacetone) and a tracer as inputs.

Continuous, carbohydrate to ethylene glycol processes

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cost-effective method to produce ethylene glycol from renewable resources.SOLUTION: This invention relates to a continuous method for converting carbohydrates to ethylene and propylene glycol, wherein: the carbohydrates are mixed with water and passed through a reactor at a temperature of hydrolyzing the carbohydrate mixture at least partially to monosaccharides, the reactor having a first zone A comprising a retro-aldol catalyst and a second zone B comprising a reducing catalyst; the aldose is converted in the first zone into glycolaldehyde by the retro-aldol catalyst; in the presence of hydrogen, the glycolaldehyde is converted to ethylene glycol in the second zone of the reactor; the reaction products are removed from the reactor; and the ethylene glycol is recovered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Method for continuous production of ethylene glycol from carbohydrates

Control methods are disclosed for continuous, unmodulated, multiple catalytic conversion step processes using at least two catalysts, a first catalyst and a second catalyst, that accommodate changes in the performance of each catalyst and the relative performances of the catalysts. In the methods, certain process parameters are used in a manner that is indicative of changes in catalyst performance, and the control methods provide for adjustment of at least one of: the absolute amount of catalytically active species and relative amounts of each of the first catalyst and second catalyst and at least one of the rate of feed or concentration of the raw material to the reaction zone.

Albin Brooke

Papers

Process for the continuous production of ethylene glycol from carbohydrates

Continuous processes for the highly selective conversion of aldohexose-yielding carbohydrate to ethylene glycol

Continuous, carbohydrate to ethylene glycol processes

Method for continuous production of ethylene glycol from carbohydrates

Methods for operating continuous, unmodulated, multiple catalytic step processes