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High-Octane Fuel Stocks via Reactive Distillation--Epsilon Technologies, 6 Ivy Court, East Hanover, NJ  07936; 973-560-1003

Mr Mitrajit Mukherjee, Principal Investigator

Mr Mitrajit Mukherjee, Business Official

DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-00ER83004

Amount:  $100,000

 

Current structured catalyst packings using particles enveloped in a wire-mesh sandwich used in most reactive distillation columns have very poor liquid/solid catalyst contact leading to low catalyst utilization.  To compensate for the lower efficiencies, higher loadings of catalyst (hence larger reactors) are used in reactive distillation units leading to high investment costs.  This disadvantage has limited the use of reactive distillation technologies to the production of ethers mainly – MTBE & TAME.  Epsilon Technologies is developing a unique high-efficiency catalyst substrate shaped to enhance both gas-liquid and liquid solid mass-transfer rates.  The higher catalyst effectiveness coupled by intimate gas/liquid mixing will lead to considerable lower catalyst loadings and hence reactor volumes leading to greater economic advantages.   The overall objective of this development program is to commercialize a family of “Ultra-Clean Fuel Technologies” to produce environmentally friendly, high-octane additives to reformulated gasoline.   Phase I will establish the technical viability of using this substrate in a reactive distillation column.  We will develop critical hydrodynamic parameters to benchmark performance of the new multifunctional catalytic system.  We will use this information to asses its advantage over conventional structured catalysts.

 

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:  This high-efficiency catalytic substrate will usher in a new generation of clean-fuel technologies for the industry using reactive distillation columns.  For U.S. refiners, this will provide a simple and economic alternative to replacing MTBE while meeting the new tier-2 sulfur specifications.