Patents by Inventor Virginia M. ROBERTS

Virginia M. ROBERTS 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).

  • Patent number: 10011777
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing a feed derived from a biomass source that contains nitrogen in the form of fatty amides, e.g., derived from hydrothermal processing of a biomass source feed, while reducing/minimizing the amount of heteroatom removal performed during subsequent/concurrent hydroprocessing. Optionally, the feed can also contain free fatty acids. This is accomplished in part by first exposing the feed to a catalyst comprising a rare earth oxide, alkali oxide, and/or alkaline earth oxide, which can remove the nitrogen heteroatoms from the compounds within the feed or can convert the nitrogen to a form readily removed in subsequent hydroprocessing. The catalyst may also suitable for catalyzing coupling (such as condensation) or conversion reactions of amides, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid derivatives, and/or other molecules in the feed suitable for participating in the coupling reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Kun Wang
  • Patent number: 9587180
    Abstract: Provided are processes for making hydrocarbons from renewable feed sources. In an embodiment, there is provided a method for co-producing lube basestock and transportation fuel from a feedstock of biological origin, the method including: a) converting a feedstock of biological origin to a ketone or a dimer acid in the presence of a first catalyst; and b) hydrogenating the ketone or the dimer acid to produce a hydrocarbon in the presence of a second catalyst comprising a hydrogenation catalyst and a hydrothermally stable binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho, Paul D. Oldenburg, Michel Daage, Kun Wang, Bradley R. Fingland, Patrick Loring Hanks
  • Patent number: 9574138
    Abstract: Provided are processes for making saturated hydrocarbons from renewable feed sources. In an embodiment, a process for producing a lube basestock and/or a diesel fuel from a feedstock of biological origin includes: contacting the feedstock in a single reactor in the presence of hydrogen with catalyst components including a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the first catalyst comprises an acidic material, a basic material, or a combination of both, and wherein the second catalyst is a hydrogenation catalyst including a hydrothermally stable binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Virginia M. Roberts, Paul D. Oldenburg, Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho, Michel Daage, Frank Cheng-Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 9221725
    Abstract: Methods are provided for processing glycerides to form lubricant boiling range molecules in a single reactor and/or a single reaction zone. The glycerides are exposed to catalysts that are stable under the conditions present in the reaction zones during conversion of glycerides to fatty ketones via a coupling reaction in the presence of a first catalyst, and the subsequent deoxygenation and isomerization of the ketones in the presence of a second dewaxing catalyst. The glyceride-containing feedstock can further include free fatty acids or fatty acid derivatives that can also be used for formation of ketones and subsequent deoxygenation and isomerization. In some configuration, the processing can occur in a single reaction zone containing mixed beds of the first and second catalyst. Such configurations can be used to control the ratio of diesel boiling range molecules versus lubricant boiling range molecules generated by the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Paul D. Oldenburg, Suzzy C. Ho, Kun Wang, Bradley R. Fingland
  • Patent number: 9034595
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the integration of processes for recovering products from algae-derived biomass. The enhanced process integration allows for increased use of input streams and other reagents that are derived from renewable sources. This increases the overall renewable character of the products extracted from the algae-derived biomass. The process integration can include exchange of input streams or energy between an algae processing system and a system for processing non-algal biomass. One example of improving process integration is using oxygenates that are generated in a renewable manner as a reagent for enhancing the algae processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul D. Oldenburg, Michel Daage, Virginia M. Roberts, Paul J. Berlowitz, David C. Long, James R. Bielenberg
  • Patent number: 8962701
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the integration of processes for recovering products from algae-derived biomass. The enhanced process integration allows for increased use of input streams and other reagents that are derived from renewable sources. This increases the overall renewable character of the products extracted from the algae-derived biomass. The process integration can include exchange of input streams or energy between an algae processing system and a system for processing non-algal biomass. One example of improving process integration is using oxygenates that are generated in a renewable manner as a reagent for enhancing the algae processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Paul D. Oldenburg, Michel Daage, Virginia M. Roberts, Paul J. Berlowitz, David C. Long, James R. Bielenberg
  • Publication number: 20140171699
    Abstract: Provided are processes for making saturated hydrocarbons from renewable feed sources. In an embodiment, a process for producing a lube basestock and/or a diesel fuel from a feedstock of biological origin includes: contacting the feedstock in a single reactor in the presence of hydrogen with catalyst components including a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the first catalyst comprises an acidic material, a basic material, or a combination of both, and wherein the second catalyst is a hydrogenation catalyst including a hydrothermally stable binder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Virginia M. Roberts, Paul D. Oldenburg, Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho, Michel Daage, Frank Cheng-Yu Wang
  • Publication number: 20140171700
    Abstract: Provided are processes for making hydrocarbons from renewable feed sources. In an embodiment, there is provided a method for co-producing lube basestock and transportation fuel from a feedstock of biological origin, the method including: a) converting a feedstock of biological origin to a ketone or a dimer acid in the presence of a first catalyst; and b) hydrogenating the ketone or the dimer acid to produce a hydrocarbon in the presence of a second catalyst comprising a hydrogenation catalyst and a hydrothermally stable binder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho, Paul D. Oldenburg, Michel Daage, Kun Wang, Bradley R. Fingland, Patrick Loring Hanks
  • Publication number: 20140142356
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing a feed derived from a biomass source that contains nitrogen in the form of fatty amides, e.g., derived from hydrothermal processing of a biomass source feed, while reducing/minimizing the amount of heteroatom removal performed during subsequent/concurrent hydroprocessing. Optionally, the feed can also contain free fatty acids. This is accomplished in part by first exposing the feed to a catalyst comprising a rare earth oxide, alkali oxide, and/or alkaline earth oxide, which can remove the nitrogen heteroatoms from the compounds within the feed or can convert the nitrogen to a form readily removed in subsequent hydroprocessing. The catalyst may also suitable for catalyzing coupling (such as condensation) or conversion reactions of amides, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid derivatives, and/or other molecules in the feed suitable for participating in the coupling reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Kun Wang
  • Patent number: 8704019
    Abstract: Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment is performed in the presence of catalyst particles. The presence of the heterogeneous catalyst can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment. After the hydrothermal treatment, the catalyst particles can be separated from the algae-based solids, to allow for recycle of the catalyst particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Paul D. Oldenburg, Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Paul J. Berlowitz, David C. Long, Halou Oumar-Mahamat
  • Patent number: 8704020
    Abstract: Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions, e.g., to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment is performed in the presence of a dissolved catalyst or catalyst precursor. The presence of the dissolved catalyst or catalyst precursor can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, James R. Bielenberg, Paul J. Berlowitz, Paul D. Oldenburg, David C. Long, Halou Oumar-Mahamat
  • Publication number: 20140024869
    Abstract: Methods are provided for processing glycerides to form lubricant boiling range molecules in a single reactor and/or a single reaction zone. The glycerides are exposed to catalysts that are stable under the conditions present in the reaction zones during conversion of glycerides to fatty ketones via a coupling reaction in the presence of a first catalyst, and the subsequent deoxygenation and isomerization of the ketones in the presence of a second dewaxing catalyst. The glyceride-containing feedstock can further include free fatty acids or fatty acid derivatives that can also be used for formation of ketones and subsequent deoxygenation and isomerization. In some configuration, the processing can occur in a single reaction zone containing mixed beds of the first and second catalyst. Such configurations can be used to control the ratio of diesel boiling range molecules versus lubricant boiling range molecules generated by the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Paul D. Oldenburg, Suzzy C. Ho, Kun Wang, Bradley R. Fingland
  • Patent number: 8624070
    Abstract: Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The solids portion can contain a portion of the phosphorus from the biomass feed. The amount of phosphorus in the solids portion can be increased for some biomass feeds by adding a multivalent metal to the feed. The phosphorus from the solids portion can be recycled for further use, such as for growth of additional biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Paul D. Oldenburg, James R. Bielenberg, Virginia M. Roberts, Halou Oumar-Mahamat, Peter J. Domaille
  • Patent number: 8487148
    Abstract: Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions, e.g., to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment can be performed in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst particles that can optionally include a catalyst metal or metal salt. The presence of the heterogeneous catalyst can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Paul D. Oldenburg, James R. Bielenberg, Paul J. Berlowitz, David C. Long, Halou Oumar-Mahamat
  • Publication number: 20130157326
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the integration of processes for recovering products from algae-derived biomass. The enhanced process integration allows for increased use of input streams and other reagents that are derived from renewable sources. This increases the overall renewable character of the products extracted from the algae-derived biomass. The process integration can include exchange of input streams or energy between an algae processing system and a system for processing non-algal biomass. One example of improving process integration is using oxygenates that are generated in a renewable manner as a reagent for enhancing the algae processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul D. OLDENBURG, Michel DAAGE, Virginia M. ROBERTS, Paul J. BERLOWITZ, David C. LONG, James R. BIELENBERG
  • Publication number: 20130158137
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the integration of processes for recovering products from algae-derived biomass. The enhanced process integration allows for increased use of input streams and other reagents that are derived from renewable sources. This increases the overall renewable character of the products extracted from the algae-derived biomass. The process integration can include exchange of input streams or energy between an algae processing system and a system for processing non-algal biomass. One example of improving process integration is using oxygenates that are generated in a renewable manner as a reagent for enhancing the algae processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul D. OLDENBURG, Michel DAAGE, Virginia M. ROBERTS, Paul J. BERLOWITZ, David C. LONG, James R. BIELENBERG
  • Patent number: 8431756
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for processing oxygenated hydrocarbons to form a hydroisomerized and/or dewaxed hydrocarbon product having a reduced oxygen content, an increased iso-paraffin content, a low n-paraffin content, and good cold flow properties. Advantageously, the method can utilize a zeolitic base catalyst, optionally but preferably containing at least one activated metal component, and a hydrothermally-stable binder such as titania.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, William J. Novak
  • Publication number: 20120142984
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for processing oxygenated hydrocarbons to form a hydroisomerized and/or dewaxed hydrocarbon product having a reduced oxygen content, an increased iso-paraffin content, a low n-paraffin content, and good cold flow properties. Advantageously, the method can utilize a zeolitic base catalyst, optionally but preferably containing at least one activated metal component, and a hydrothermally-stable binder such as titania.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Virginia M. ROBERTS, Michel DAAGE, William J. NOVAK
  • Publication number: 20120130141
    Abstract: Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment is performed in the presence of catalyst particles. The presence of the heterogeneous catalyst can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment. After the hydrothermal treatment, the catalyst particles can be separated from the algae-based solids, to allow for recycle of the catalyst particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul D. Oldenburg, Virginia M. Roberts, Michel Daage, Paul J. Berlowitz, David C. Long, Halou Oumar-Mahamat
  • Publication number: 20120101319
    Abstract: Biomass based feeds are processed under hydrothermal treatment conditions, e.g., to produce a hydrocarbon liquid product and a solids portion. The hydrothermal treatment is performed in the presence of a dissolved catalyst or catalyst precursor. The presence of the dissolved catalyst or catalyst precursor can modify the nature of the hydrocarbon products produced from the hydrothermal treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Virginia M. ROBERTS, Michel DAAGE, James R. BIELENBERG, Paul J. BERLOWITZ, Paul D. OLDENBURG, David C. LONG, Halou OUMAR-MAHAMAT