US 11,851,384 B2
Method and system embodiments for converting ethanol to para-xylene and ortho-xylene
Karthikeyan K. Ramasamy, West Richland, WA (US); Mond Guo, Richland, WA (US); Richard Russell Rosin, Glencoe, IL (US); and Joseph Anthony Kocal, Glenview, IL (US)
Assigned to Battelle Memorial Institute, Richland, WA (US); and Lanzatech, Inc., Skokie, IL (US)
Filed by Battelle Memorial Institute, Richland, WA (US); and LanzaTech, Inc., Skokie, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/713,686.
Application 17/713,686 is a division of application No. 17/387,725, filed on Jul. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,325,873.
Prior Publication US 2023/0049093 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. C07C 1/207 (2006.01); C07C 7/04 (2006.01); C07C 45/68 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 1/2076 (2013.01) [C07C 7/04 (2013.01); C07C 45/68 (2013.01); C07C 2521/04 (2013.01); C07C 2521/06 (2013.01); C07C 2521/18 (2013.01); C07C 2523/44 (2013.01); C07C 2523/656 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for producing p-xylene, comprising:
a gas fermentation bioreactor housing a C1-fixing bacteria to produce ethanol in fluid communication with an oxidation reactor housing an oxidation catalyst to convert the ethanol to acetaldehyde;
the oxidation reactor in fluid communication with a dimerization reactor comprising a dimerization catalyst to convert the acetaldehyde to 2-butenal;
the dimerization reactor in fluid communication with a cyclization reactor comprising a cyclization catalyst to convert the 2-butenal to o-methylbenzaldehyde and/or p-methylbenzaldehyde;
the cyclization reactor in fluid communication with a hydrogenation reactor comprising a hydrogenation catalyst to convert the o-methylbenzaldehyde and/or p-methylbenzaldehyde to saturated cyclic compounds and non-equilibrium mixture of xylenes;
the hydrogenation reactor in fluid communication with a first fractionation zone that separates the saturated cyclic compounds from the non-equilibrium mixture of xylenes;
the first fractionation zone in fluid communication with a second fractionation zone that separates o-xylene from the non-equilibrium mixture of xylenes; and
the second fractionation zone in fluid communication with a first crystallizer that separates p-xylene from the non-equilibrium mixture of xylenes.