Patents by Inventor Gerhard H. Knothe

Gerhard H. Knothe 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).

  • Process for the decarboxylation, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation and cyclization aromatization of fatty acids yielding products with significant aromatic content
    Patent number: 11186802
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are processes for the decarboxylation, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and cyclization/aromatization of fatty acids involving contacting a starting material which is an unsaturated fatty acid, unsaturated fatty acid derivative, or an unsaturated triglyceride, in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature at which decarboxylation, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and cyclization/aromatization occurs and recovering the unsaturated organic compound product; wherein the catalyst is chloro-1,5-cyclooctadiene iridium (I) dimer. The product may contain at least about 8% by volume aromatic content and less than about 25% by volume aromatic content, and wherein the product contains less than about 1% by volume of naphthalenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by The Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Doll, Bryan R. Moser, Gerhard H. Knothe
  • Process for the Decarboxylation, Isomerization, Hydrogenation, Dehydrogenation and Cyclization Aromatization of Fatty Acids Yielding Products with Significant Aromatic Content
    Publication number: 20210032565
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are processes for the decarboxylation, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and cyclization/aromatization of fatty acids involving contacting a starting material which is an unsaturated fatty acid, unsaturated fatty acid derivative, or an unsaturated triglyceride, in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature at which decarboxylation, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and cyclization/aromatization occurs and recovering the unsaturated organic compound product; wherein the catalyst is chloro-1,5-cyclooctadiene iridium (I) dimer. The product may contain at least about 8% by volume aromatic content and less than about 25% by volume aromatic content, and wherein the product contains less than about 1% by volume of naphthalenes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Doll, Bryan R. Moser, Gerhard H. Knothe
  • Compositions Containing Diesel and Fatty Acid Methyl Ester/Maleic Anhydride/Esters (FAME/MA/Esters) and the Use of FAME/MA/Esters to Improve the Lubricity of Diesel
    Publication number: 20200095514
    Abstract: A composition containing diesel (e.g., containing less than about 15 ppm sulfur) and fatty acid methyl ester/maleic anhydride/esters (FAME/MA/esters), wherein the FAME/MA/esters are prepared by a method involving reacting FAME with MA to form FAME/MA and reacting FAME/MA with alkyl alcohol to form FAME/MA/esters; wherein the FAME is conjugated. The FAME/MA/esters are produced from tung oil or from plant oils in which the unsaturated fatty acids have been converted to conjugated fatty acids. Also a method of improving the lubricity of diesel, involving combining diesel and FAME/MA/esters, wherein the FAME/MA/esters are prepared by a method involving reacting FAME with MA to form FAME/MA and reacting FAME/MA with alkyl alcohol to form FAME/MA/esters; wherein the FAME is conjugated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Zengshe Liu, Gerhard H. Knothe, Jing Li