Patent 7977517 was granted and assigned to Virent Energy Systems on July, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Processes and reactor systems are provided for the conversion of oxygenated hydrocarbons to hydrocarbons, ketones and alcohols useful as liquid fuels, such as gasoline, jet fuel or diesel fuel, and industrial chemicals. The process involves the conversion of mono-oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, furans, carboxylic acids, diols, triols, and/or other polyols, to C4+ hydrocarbons, alcohols and/or ketones, by condensation. The oxygenated hydrocarbons may originate from any source, but are preferably derived from biomass.