US 11,919,847 B1
Method for producing high-performance aviation fuel blendstocks from monoterpenes
Benjamin G. Harvey, Ridgecrest, CA (US); Karan R. Doppalapudi, Poway, CA (US); and Calvin Luke Keller, Ridgecrest, CA (US)
Assigned to United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/166,594.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/394,039, filed on Aug. 1, 2022.
Int. Cl. C07C 5/13 (2006.01); C07C 1/20 (2006.01); C10L 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 5/13 (2013.01) [C07C 1/20 (2013.01); C10L 1/06 (2013.01); C07C 2531/025 (2013.01); C10L 2200/0484 (2013.01); C10L 2270/04 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of converting monoterpenes to cycloalkanes useful as high performance aviation fuel blendstocks, the method comprising:
providing an oxygenated acyclic monoterpene as a substrate;
dehydrating the substrate to generate a dehydrated product in a reaction vessel;
hydrogenating the dehydrated product in the reaction vessel to generate cycloalkanes; and
purifying the cycloalkanes, thereby producing a fuel blendstock, wherein
the oxygenated acyclic monoterpene is obtained from one or more plant extracts or is synthesized from biological sources,
dehydrating the substrate comprises creating a vacuum in the reaction vessel or filling the reaction vessel with an inert gas, and heating the reaction vessel to a temperature of about 0° C. to less than about 50° C. for about 1 hour to about 6 hours,
hydrogenating the dehydrated products comprises creating a hydrogen atmosphere by pressurizing the reaction vessel using hydrogen to a pressure of about 500 pounds per square inch, and performing a hydrogenation reaction at one or more temperatures from about 25° C. to about 150° C. for about 1 hour to about 15 hours, and
dehydrating the substrate and hydrogenating the dehydrated product are performed without the use of a solvent.