Production and Use of Sustainable C2‐C4 Alcohols – An Industrial Perspective

Abstract

In the recent past, society has become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of political and corporate action. Hence, several industrial sectors are currently undergoing a transition to more sustainable products and processes. Sustainable production processes for C2‐C4 alcohols can help to decrease the environmental impacts of large downstream markets such as fuels and polymers. However, a reliable and consistent framework is needed for companies to further develop and commercialize these processes. Furthermore, standardized procedures for determining the sustainability of a process are essential in evaluating the environmental benefits.

Insights on Guerbet Reaction: Production of Biobutanol From Bioethanol Over a Mg–Al Spinel Catalyst

“…n-Butanol is a potential engine fuel owing to its properties closely resembling those of gasoline ( Le Van Mao et al, 1989 ; Iglesia et al, 1997 ; Riittonen et al, 2012 ), and it is also an important solvent and intermediate chemical to produce paints, coatings, adhesives, and plasticizers ( Uyttebroek et al, 2015 ). Nowadays, most n-butanol is synthesized through the petrochemical pathway from propylene and syngas, where in a first stage, propylene is hydroformylated to butyraldehyde (oxo process), and then, in a second stage, it is further hydrogenated to n-butanol ( Gehrmann and Tenhumberg, 2020 ). Before the petrochemical route, between 1900 and 1960, commercial production of n-butanol was dominated by ABE fermentation, which made use of sugars from cereal grains or molasses as raw material.…”

Solvent design for catalyst recycling of rhodium/amine catalysts via scCO2 extraction in the reductive hydroformylation of alpha olefins

“…Alcohols are already important products in the current chemical value chain with direct application as solvents and disinfectants or as intermediates for a variety of chemicals like detergents or polymers. 1 Additionally, the high interest for alcohols as fuel additives in bio-synthetic fuels, e.g. in PtX and BtL concepts, [2][3][4] during recent years makes highly efficient protocols for their production pressing.…”

Effects of n‐Propanol Co‐feeding in Isobutanol Synthesis from Syngas over K‐CuMgCe Catalyst

“…Isobutanol can be used as a fuel additive to replace methyl tert‐butyl ether (MTBE, a gasoline additive), or used to produce various valuable chemicals [1] . However, isobutanol is currently mainly derived from the hydroformylation‐hydrogenation reaction of olefins based on the petrochemical pathway [1d,2] . Due to the high production cost and low output of isobutanol, the market‘s application of it as fuel and fuel additive is restricted [3] .…”

“…Due to the high production cost and low output of isobutanol, the market‘s application of it as fuel and fuel additive is restricted [3] . Syngas from coal/shale gas/biomass to produce higher alcohols is a practical path for the efficient and clean utilization of coal, shale gas, and biomass [2,4] . Catalysts and processes need to be improved to make this path commercially viable [5] …”