Abstract:
A method is provided for separating a dicarboxylic acid product from a mixture containing such dicarboxylic acids. The method involves: providing a dicarboxylic acid-containing mixture of which at least 35% of the carboxylic acid content of the mixture is a dicarboxylic acid product of interest; running an extraction of said dicarboxylic acid-containing mixture through a chromatographic column configured with an amphoteric resin, such that the dicarboxylic acid product elutes preferentially from the dicarboxylic acid-containing mixture. In certain embodiments, the dicarboxylic acid product of interest can be a glucaric or gluconic acid product from a mixture of either or both of these with still other carboxylic acids.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a process for making the esters of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, and particularly the dimethyl, diethyl or dipropyl esters of FDCA for use as monomers in the production of polyesters and other types of polymers with biobased content, comprising: reacting an aqueous feed comprising glucaric acid with a high boiling first alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst and with removing water during the reaction, to form a first product mixture comprising a first ester of FDCA and the high boiling first alcohol; removing unreacted high boiling first alcohol from the first product mixture; combining the first ester of FDCA and the high boiling first alcohol with a lower boiling second alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and n-propanol; transesterifying the first ester with the lower boiling second alcohol to form a second product mixture comprising a second ester of FDCA with the lower boiling second alcohol; and recovering the second ester of FDCA with the lower boiling second alcohol.
Abstract:
A process for preparing maltitol is described. The process enables greater control of the reaction to minimized generation of glucose and sorbitol side products that can arise from the over-hydrogenation of maltitol. The process involves reacting a medium containing maltose at a concentration of ≤ 30% with hydrogen in a continuous manner using a fixed-bed reactor at a reaction temperature and pressure sufficient to produce a final product containing a yield of maltitol of at least 90 mol.%, at a conversion rate in which no more than about 2 mol.% of said maltose concentration remains, and a sorbitol concentration of less than 1.0 mol.%.
Abstract:
A process for the preparation of diastereomeric mono- and 2,5- bis(halomethyl)tetrahydrofurans from renewable THF-diols is described. Also disclosed are certain derivative compounds that can be prepared from the mono or di-alkyl halide furanic compounds.
Abstract:
A process is described for producing 1,3-butanediol, wherein an ester of poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate such as formed by transesterification with an alcohol is reduced by hydrogenation in the presence of a skeletal copper-based catalyst to provide 1,3-butanediol. The 1,3-butanediol may be transesterified by reaction with additional poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate ester to produce (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate.
Abstract:
A method for preparing sugar-based oligomers is described. The process involves sequential (one-pot) esterification of 2,5-furan-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with an alcohol and transesterification with a glycol, as catalyzed by relatively low loadings of homogeneous organometallic Lewis acids, which can be retained in the product mixture from the esterification through transesterification.
Abstract:
An improved hydroformylation process is described wherein a compressed petroleum gas-expanded liquid is used as a solvent for an olefinic hydroformylation feed to a reactor in the manner of US 8,822,734 to Subramaniam et al., but a small amount of a second organic solvent is added for the complexed, homogeneous rhodium carbonyl catalyst, and the crude hydroformylation product is mixed with an amount of water for extracting the aldehyde products of the hydroformylation therein. Upon allowing the resulting mixture to settle in a settling vessel, separate aqueous and organic phases are produced. The aqueous phase containing aldehyde hydroformylation products is separated from the organic phase, which organic phase is then recycled back to the reactor.
Abstract:
Methods for preparing 1) a sugar-derived ester, 2) a glycol generated from reduction of the ester, and 3) polymers fabricated from polycondensation of the ester or glycol with various diamines and dicarboxylic acids are described. In particular, the ester is levulinic 5-methyl-2-furfural (LMF), the acylation product of hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) and either a levulinyl halide or levulinic acid. Each of the embodiments for the synthesis is highly selective for the product and can be executed under relatively mild reaction conditions.
Abstract:
Improved methods for treating agricultural commodities with ozone are disclosed. The methods include treating the commodity with humid ozone to effectively treat the commodity.
Abstract:
A method of etherifying glycols or other diols by employing renewable reagents is disclosed. In particular, the method involves contacting a diol with an alkylating agent in an alcoholic solvent, catalyzed with a catalyst (carbonic acid) generated in situ (from CO 2 ). The mono- and di-ether products can serve as valued precursors to an array of renewable surfactants, dispersants, and lubricants, among others.