Claims
- 1. A method for producing fuel oil from cellulosic material which comprises contacting the cellulosic material with liquid water and treating contacted material with a reducing gas which contains carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one metal, alloy of a metal and/or compound of a metal wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum and copper and at an initial temperature of from 100.degree. C. to 950.degree. C. and an initial pressure of from 10 to 680 atmospheres.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the catalyst is precipitated in finely divided form onto the cellulosic material.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the liquid water is alkaline.
- 4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the partial pressure of carbon monoxide is maintained higher than the partial pressure of carbon dioxide.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the reducing gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methane, natural gas, water gas, producer gas and synthesis gas.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein carbon monoxide is supplied to a vessel in which the method is performed.
- 7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method is performed at a pressure of from 10 to 100 atmospheres.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method is performed at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 250.degree. C.
- 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium metal, ruthenium alloy and ruthenium compounds.
- 10. A method according to claim 1 wherein an inert gas is supplied to the vessel in which the method is performed.
- 11. A method according to claim 2 wherein a residue remaining after performance of the method is recovered thereby facilitating recovery of the catalyst.
- 12. A method for producing fuel oil from a cellulosic material which comprises the steps of,
- (a) hydrolysing the cellulosic material to produce a hydrolysed material,
- (b) treating the hydrolysed material with carbon monoxide to produce a water soluble keto acid,
- (c) decarboxylating the keto acid to form an aldehyde in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one metal, alloy of a metal or compound of a metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum and copper at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 950.degree. C. and a pressure of from 10 to 680 atmospheres and in the presence of a reducing gas whereby carbon dioxide produced by the decarbonylation is converted to carbon monoxide and water (including steam) and the aldehyde polymerises and
- (d) hydrogenating the polymerised aldehyde by means of the catalyst and reducing gas whereby the fuel oil is produced.
- 13. A method for producing fuel oil from cellulosic material which comprises contacting the cellulosic material with water and treating the contacted material with a reducing gas and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one metal, alloy of a metal and/or compound of a metal wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum and copper under conditions of temperature and pressure such that at least some of the water is liquid and at a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. and a pressure of at least 10 atmospheres.
- 14. A method for disposing of cellulosic waste wherein the waste is converted to fuel oil by using it as the cellulosic material in the performance of a method as claimed in claim 1.
Parent Case Info
This invention is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 06/201,153 filed on Oct. 27, 1980 now abandoned which in turn was a continuation of our application Ser. No. 06/046,337 (now abandoned) filed on June 7, 1979 which in turn was a continuation of our application Ser. No. 05/877,124 (now abandoned) filed on Feb. 13, 1978 which in turn was a continuation of our application Ser. No. 05/470,300 (now abandoned) filed on May 15, 1974 which in turn was a continuation of our application Ser. No. 05/232,773 (now abandoned) which was filed on Mar. 8, 1972. The contents of application Ser. No. 06/201,153 are herein incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
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194239 |
Mar 1957 |
ATX |
70259 |
Sep 1930 |
SEX |
Continuations (4)
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46337 |
Jun 1979 |
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877124 |
Feb 1978 |
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470300 |
May 1974 |
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Parent |
232773 |
Mar 1972 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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201153 |
Oct 1980 |
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