Ethanol

Science and Engineering

Angelo Basile, Adolfo Iulianelli, Francesco Dalena, T. Nejat Veziroglu

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780128114582
• eBook ISBN: 9780128115367
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Ethanol: Science and Engineering reviews the most significant research findings in both ethanol production and utilization. The book's contents are divided into four parts, beginning with an explanation of the chemical reactions involved during the conversion of ethanol to more complex molecules. Other sections focus on various processes and their potential use, the modelling of various chemical processes, and finally, their economic and environmental impact. The book includes the most advanced production processes, new technologies, applications, and the economic role ethanol plays today. The book will be great for researchers and engineers in both academic and industry.The idea of using ethanol as a fuel is one of the most promising options in the arena of alternative fuels because of it versatile use as an intermediate for producing hydrogen via reforming reactions, direct fuel cells feed and/or its production from biomass, which is also considered a sustainable feedstock.- Reviews ethanol production methods from biomass- Discusses the potential of ethanol as a viable future fuel- Includes hydrogen production methods using ethanol in catalytic reforming processes- Outlines the various technologies based on ethanol- Includes ethanol powered fuel cells

Part 1

Science and Production

Outline

1. Chapter 1. Catalytic Conversion of Ethanol to Commodity and Specialty Chemicals
2. Chapter 2. Ethanol From Biomass: Future and Perspectives
3. Chapter 3. State of the Art on the Conventional Processes for Ethanol Production
4. Chapter 4. Ethanol for Food or Transportation: A Kind of Competition

Chapter 1

Catalytic Conversion of Ethanol to Commodity and Specialty Chemicals

Hussein T. Abdulrazzaq, and Thomas J. Schwartz University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States

Abstract

This chapter reviews important catalytic processes for the conversion of ethanol to commodity and specialty chemicals. The products discussed include those that have been studied extensively during the 20th century, including ethylene, propylene, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, butadiene, and n-butanol, and some processes that have been developed in response to the focus at the beginning of the 21st century on using biobased alternatives to petroleum. Emphasis is placed on highlighting recent developments in the field and comparing these with historically significant studies. Promising emerging technologies for ethanol conversion focus generally on carbon–carbon bond forming reactions used for oligomerization of ethanol to high-value specialty products such as aromatics, long-chain alcohols, and lubricants. We suggest that additional research focused on similar oligomerization reactions may be fruitful for generating additional innovation in the biobased chemicals industry.

Keywords

Alcohols; Aromatics; Biobased chemicals; Butadiene; Ethanol; Heterogeneous catalysis; Reaction kinetics

Chapter Outline

1. 1. Introduction
2. 2. Products From Direct Ethanol Conversion: Commodity Chemicals
   1. 2.1 Ethylene
   2. 2.2 Propylene
   3. 2.3 Acetaldehyde
   4. 2.4 Acetic Acid and Ethyl Acetate
3. 3. Products From Ethanol Dimerization and Oligomerization: High-Value Commodities and Specialty Chemicals
   1. 3.1 Butadiene
   2. 3.2 Butanol, Higher Alcohols, and Aromatics
   3. 3.3 Lubricants
4. 4. Conclusion and Future Trends
5. List of Abbreviation
6. References

1. Introduction

Using renewable resources for producing fuels and high-value chemicals is an important next step for the chemical industry because of the finite nature of global natural gas and petroleum resources. In addition, the use of fossil resources as the primary source for fuels and chemicals has led to long-term environmental concerns. In particular, the use of petroleum-derived fuels is widely recognized as the main driver for increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Several alternatives to fossil-based resources have been proposed for the production of fuels and chemicals, among which biomass is the most prominent (Chheda et al., 2007; Huber et al., 2006; Alonso et al., 2010; Luterbacher et al., 2014). However, recent developments in enhanced oil and gas recovery have mitigated concerns about the availability of carbon for fuel production (Gerard, 2016; Wood et al., 2012), although the impact on the chemical industry has been somewhat more complex. Although the availability of cheap natural gas liquids has led to interest in building new ethane crackers in the United States (Greenwood, 2016), there has been a concomitant shift in the availability of industrial chemicals with four or more carbons (Siirola, 2014). Thus, there remains a desire to use biomass as a feedstock for chemical production. In particular, strategies that combine both chemical and biological catalysis offer significant flexibility to selectively retain the functionality native in biomass and efficiently produce high-value chemicals from biomass (Schwartz et al., 2014, 2016; Shanks and Keeling, 2017). A general feature of such strategies is the use of biologically derived platform molecules that can be upgraded to several different end products.

The choice of the target product is a nontrivial consideration when converting biomass to chemicals. There have been many reports of the conversion of biomass into industrial commodity chemicals such as olefins, hydrogen, methane, etc. (Rass-Hansen et al., 2007; Christensen et al., 2008). However, it would be difficult to completely meet the demand for ethylene, for example, if biomass is used as the sole feedstock. As a conveniently available reference metric, one can compare the 350 million metric tons corn grown in the United States in 2013 (Capehart, 2017) with the 143 million metric tons ethylene produced worldwide that same year (True, 2013). Recognizing that the mass yield of ethanol from glucose is approximately 50 wt%, replacing fossil-based ethylene with biobased ethylene would require redirecting nearly all of the corn produced in the United States (as a representative biomass feedstock and assuming it is 100% starch). Consequently, it is more appropriate to choose lower volume, higher value chemical products to target for research.

Ethanol is suitable for use as a platform chemical because it can be converted to many different end products. Bioethanol can be obtained from biomass resources by fermentation of raw materials such as corn, sugarcane, and lignocellulose. The push to produce fuel ethanol from biomass has led to the development of microorganisms that can convert diverse biomass feedstocks to ethanol (Geddes et al., 2011). In this chapter, we will highlight important catalytic processes for the conversion of this bioethanol to both commodity and specialty chemicals. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive review but, rather, to focus on processes that are historically significant and emerging technologies that have the potential to fill the gaps left by changes in petroleum feedstocks that have occurred in the first two decades of the 21st century. Historically, ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Preface
• Part 1. Science and Production
• Part 2. Application and Innovation
• Part 3. Modelling and Technology
• Part 4. Environment and Economy
• Index