Abstract: A method of producing alcohols, hydrocarbons, or both from biomass by converting biomass into a carboxylic acid, reacting the carboxylic acid with an olefin to produce an ester and hydrogenolyzing the ester to produce alcohol. A method of producing hydrocarbons from biomass by converting at least a portion of the biomass into a carboxylic acid, a ketone, or an ammonium carboxylate salt, reacting at least one of a portion of the carboxylic acid, a portion of the ketone, or a portion of the ammonium carboxylate salt in an oligomerization reactor as at least part of a process that produces an oligomerization product and separating hydrocarbons from the oligomerization product.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method of separating heavy and light components from a vapor mixture. The method comprises a. distilling the vapor mixture into a first vapor phase and a first liquid phase; and b. condensing at least a portion of the first vapor phase into a second liquid phase and a second vapor phase; wherein the distilling utilizes the internal energy of the vapor mixture. In an embodiment, the method further comprises c. utilizing at least a portion of the first liquid phase to absorb at least a portion of the second vapor phase. In some cases, the method further comprises cooling the at least a portion of the first liquid phase prior to utilizing it to absorb the at least a portion of the second vapor phase.