Patents by Inventor Bert Sels

Bert Sels has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20250041831
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for CO2 desorption in an overall CO2 absorption/desorption procedure. The present invention in particular relates to a process and a system for the catalytic CO2 desorption steps, in the presence of at least one Zr-based catalyst. The present invention also relates to a suitable Zr-based catalyst for the CO2 desorption process, and to methods for preparing such a catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: TOTALENERGIES ONETECH
    Inventors: Parveen KUMAR, Maxime LACROIX, Bert SELS, Cheng ZHOU, Yuhe LIAO
  • Publication number: 20240408127
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a cellulose with an average degree of Polymerization (DP) below 100 and a crystallinity index below 0.5 as a fermentable dietary fiber in a food composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Christophe COURTIN, Bert SELS, Karel THIELEMANS, Sander VAN DEN BOSCH, Aron DENEYER, Chiara ROYE
  • Patent number: 12129346
    Abstract: Biomass is processed in a close to equivolumetric mixture of an alcohol and water at elevated temperature, in the presence of a metal catalyst and hydrogen. During this one-pot fractionation process, the hot liquor disentangles the polymeric biomass and depolymerises lignin and hemicellulose, while the catalyst and reductive environment are essential to accumulate and target stable products at high yield (such as phenolics and polyols, respectively). The process is particularly industrially relevant because its overcomes difficult and complex separation protocols, at place in classic biorefinery technology; the process foresees simple product recuperation in one process step into the three fractions; the solid carbohydrate pulp (mainly cellulose) is retrieved upon filtration, while phase separation of n-butanol and water occurs below 125° C. The three resulting product streams provide a versatile platform for down-stream conversion towards added-value bio-based chemicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Inventors: Bert Sels, Tom Renders, Elias Cooreman, Sander Van Den Bosch
  • Publication number: 20240254408
    Abstract: A composition of branched fatty acids or esters thereof and the processes for preparing such compositions and to a process of producing a composition of branched C10-C24 fatty acids or esters thereof with a high portion, at least 70% by weight, of mono and polybranched C10-C24 fatty acids or esters thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Dorien Kerstens, Bert Sels
  • Publication number: 20240116835
    Abstract: In general, present invention concerns an integrated lignocellulose-to-chemicals biorefinery, enabling production of renewable n-propylbenzene, phenolic oligomers, and carbohydrate pulp from lignocellulosic biomass. And it concerns an integrated biorefinery, enabling production of renewable n-propylbenzene, phenolic oligomers, and carbohydrate pulp from lignocellulosic biomass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Bert SELS, Yuhe LIAO
  • Publication number: 20240026070
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods for producing a lactic acid based polymer, which comprises co-polymerisation of lactide with cyclic dimer of another ?-hydroxy-acid as co-monomer of opposite ?-carbon chirality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Michiel Dusselier, Peter Van Puyvelde, An Sofie Narmon, Annelies Dewaele, Bert Sels
  • Patent number: 11851390
    Abstract: A two-step one-pot process for reacting glycolaldehyde with an aminating agent in the presence of a reactive organic fluid for instance a reactive solvent is provided. The first step comprises of contacting glycolaldehyde with an aminating agent in the presence of a reactive fluid for instance a reactive solvent under inert atmosphere to produce unsaturated intermediates, and reacting the reaction mixture obtained in step 1 with hydrogen in the presence of a supported hydrogenation catalyst in a second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Inventors: Michiel Jules Y Pelckmans, William Hendrick Faveere, Bert Sels
  • Publication number: 20230279185
    Abstract: A complex non-naturally occurring phenolic compounds mixtures or engineered phenolic compounds compositions, from catalytic degradation of lignocellulose, and the use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Bert LAGRAIN, Bert SELS, Joost VAN AELST, Korneel VAN AELST, Sander VAN DEN BOSCH
  • Patent number: 11414519
    Abstract: A process for making ortho alkoxy bisphenol monomers includes contacting an (alk-1-enyl)alkoxyphenol (type 1) with an alkoxyphenol (type 2) in the presence of an acidic catalyst. Both type of renewable phenols (type 1 and 2) can be generated from lignocellulosic biomass. The use of such alkoxy phenols as a precursor to bisphenol monomers has the potential to reduce the cost and environmental impact of structural materials, while meeting or exceeding the performance of current petroleum-derived polymers, such as thermoplastics and thermoset resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
    Inventors: Bert Sels, Steven-Friso Koelewijn
  • Publication number: 20210269616
    Abstract: Lignocellulose constitutes an alluring renewable feedstock for the production of bio-based chemicals. This contribution demonstrates for the first time a chemocatalytic biorefinery concept that produces three separate product fractions of valuable product families at high yield and purity from lignocellulosic biomass; the product families, merely comprising of stable products, are (i) a lignin oil enriched with high contents of lignin-derived (mono)phenolics, (ii) essentially humin (furanic oligomers)-free hemicellulose-derived polyols, and (iii) a cellulose pulp. This is achieved by processing biomass in a close to equivolumetric mixture of an alcohol (such as n-butanol) and water at elevated temperature, in the presence of a metal catalyst and hydrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Bert Sels, Tom Renders, Elias Cooreman, Sander Van Den Bosch
  • Publication number: 20210171356
    Abstract: A process of performing controlled alkaline treatments on inorganic porous solids, yielding superior physico-chemical and catalytic properties, whereby the particle and crystal size is not negatively influenced. The solids obtained from this process can be easily recovered from the alkaline solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Bert SELS, Nicolas NUTTENS, Danny VERBOEKEND
  • Publication number: 20210139410
    Abstract: A two-step one-pot process for reacting glycolaldehyde with an aminating agent in the presence of a reactive organic fluid for instance a reactive solvent is provided. The first step comprises of contacting glycolaldehyde with an aminating agent in the presence of a reactive fluid for instance a reactive solvent under inert atmosphere to produce unsaturated intermediates, and reacting the reaction mixture obtained in step 1 with hydrogen in the presence of a supported hydrogenation catalyst in a second step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Taminco BVBA
    Inventors: Michiel Jules Y Pelckmans, William Hendrick Faveere, Bert Sels
  • Publication number: 20210070684
    Abstract: In general the present invention concerns a method for production of highly pure m,m?-coupled bis(4-alkylphenol) derivatives from particular lignin-derived 4-alkylphenol derivatives. More specifically this invention relates to a process for the selective purification of m,m?-coupled bis(4-alkylphenol) derivatives by selective crystallization in the presence of residual substrate and isomeric and/or oligomeric by-products/impurities. This new class of bis(4-alkylphenol)s are valuable precursors for renewable thermoplastics, (high temperature) resins/thermosets, bio-derived C15-C19 fuel additives, antioxidants, UV-stabilizers, plasticizers, soluble n-type perylene copolymers and/or positive working photoresists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Bert SELS, Steven-Friso KOELEWIJN
  • Patent number: 10899730
    Abstract: A process for preparing cyclic esters by means of a transesterification reaction in the gas phase, comprises the steps of: (i) vaporizing a liquid solution of alpha-hydroxy esters, (ii) passing the ester vapors through a reaction zone containing a solid catalyst and (iii) recovering the cyclic esters from the gaseous product stream; and wherein the solid catalyst comprises at least one metal of titanium (Ti) and Zirconium (Zr), and a SiO2 support, and wherein said metal is chemically bound to the SiO2 support through M-O—Si chemical bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
    Inventors: Rik De Clercq, Michiel Dusselier, Bert Sels
  • Patent number: 10858333
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for synthesizing lactide, comprising the steps of: adding thermal energy to at least one solvent; providing one or more components to at least one reactor, the one or more components comprising lactic acid and the at least one solvent; converting at least part of the lactic acid into lactide and water; and recovering at least part of the lactide; wherein the step of adding thermal energy to the at least one solvent is performed prior to the step of adding the at least one solvent to the at least one reactor; wherein the at least one solvent is provided in the at least one reactor independently from the lactic acid by a separate entry into the at least one reactor; and, wherein the step of converting at least part of the lactic acid into lactide and water is performed in one step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOTAL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY FELUY
    Inventors: Mahdi Yazdanpanah, Jamal Chaouki, Pieter Van Wouwe, Bert Sels
  • Patent number: 10851078
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for synthesizing lactide, comprising the steps of: adding thermal energy to at least one of one or more components; providing the one or more components to at least one reactor, the one or more components comprising lactic acid and at least one solvent; converting at least part of the lactic acid into lactide and water; recovering at least part of the lactide; recovering at least part of the at least one solvent; recovering at least part of the thermal energy, wherein at least part of the recovered thermal energy is recovered from the recovered solvent; and adding the recovered thermal energy to at least one of the one or more components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOTAL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY FELUY
    Inventors: Mahdi Yazdanpanah, Jamal Chaouki, Pieter Van Wouwe, Bert Sels
  • Patent number: 10745374
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for synthesizing lactide, comprising the steps of: providing one or more components to at least one reactor, the one or more components comprising lactic acid and a solvent; converting at least part of the lactic acid into lactide and water; recovering at least part of the lactide; and recovering at least part of the water; wherein the step of converting at least part of the lactic acid into lactide and water is performed in one step; and wherein the step of recovering at least part of the water comprises a decantation step, preferably with the proviso that the step of recovering at least part of the water does not comprise an azeotropic distillation step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Total Research & Technology Feluy
    Inventors: Mahdi Yazdanpanah, Jamal Chaouki, Pieter Van Wouwe, Bert Sels
  • Publication number: 20200123315
    Abstract: A process for making ortho alkoxy bisphenol monomers includes contacting an (alk-1-enyl)alkoxyphenol (type 1) with an alkoxyphenol (type 2) in the presence of an acidic catalyst. Both type of renewable phenols (type 1 and 2) can be generated from lignocellulosic biomass. The use of such alkoxy phenols as a precursor to bisphenol monomers has the potential to reduce the cost and environmental impact of structural materials, while meeting or exceeding the performance of current petroleum-derived polymers, such as thermoplastics and thermoset resins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Bert SELS, Steven-Friso KOELEWIJN
  • Patent number: 10562877
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for synthesizing lactide comprising the steps of: providing one or more components to at least one reactor, the one or more components comprising lactic acid; converting at least part of the lactic acid into lactide and water and into lactic acid oligomers; recovering at least part of the lactide; recovering at least part of the water and at least part of the lactic acid oligomers; adding a feed, optionally comprising lactic acid oligomers, and optionally comprising water, to the recovered water and the recovered lactic acid oligomers, and mixing the feed with the recovered water and the recovered lactic acid oligomers to form a mixture; converting at least part of the lactic acid oligomers in the mixture into lactic acid and into lactic acid dimer; and removing at least part of the water from the mixture; whereby at least part of the remainder of the mixture is provided as one of the one or more components that are provided to the at least one reactor; and, wher
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOTAL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY FELUY
    Inventors: Mahdi Yazdanpanah, Jamal Chaouki, Pieter Van Wouwe, Bert Sels
  • Publication number: 20190367471
    Abstract: A process for preparing cyclic esters by means of a transesterification reaction in the gas phase, comprises the steps of: (i) vaporizing a liquid solution of alpha-hydroxy esters, (ii) passing the ester vapors through a reaction zone containing a solid catalyst and (iii) recovering the cyclic esters from the gaseous product stream; and wherein the solid catalyst comprises at least one metal of titanium (Ti) and Zirconium (Zr), and a SiO2 support, and wherein said metal is chemically bound to the SiO2 support through M-O—Si chemical bonds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Rik DE CLERCQ, Michiel DUSSELIER, Bert SELS