Catalyst for thermocatalytic conversion of biomass to liquid fuels and chemicals

1. A process for making a catalyst for biomass conversion, the process comprising:

(a) treating a ZSM-5 zeolite with a phosphorous-containing compound to form a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component;

(b) calcining the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component;

(c) preparing a slurry comprising the calcined phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder; and

(d) shaping the slurry into shaped bodies.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein in step (a), the phosphorous-containing compound is phosphoric acid.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein in step (a), the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component has a pH value of about 3.5.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein in step (c), the silica-containing binder comprises kaolin, silicic acid, polysilicic acid, silica gel, or any combination thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein in step (c), the silica-containing binder is derived from silicic acid, sodium silicate, silica gel, or any combination thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 , further comprising washing the shaped bodies to adjust to a pH value of about 8.

7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising calcining the shaped bodies.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the silica-containing binder and shaped bodies are free of or substantially free of amorphous alumina.

9. A catalyst prepared according to the process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is free of or substantially free of amorphous alumina.

10. A process for the conversion of particulate biomass to a fuel, the process comprising:

(a) treating a ZSM-5 zeolite component with a phosphorous-containing compound forming a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component;

(b) preparing a slurry comprising the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder;

(c) shaping the slurry into shaped bodies;

(d) calcining the shaped bodies; and

(e) contacting the calcined shaped bodies with a particulate biomass in a reactor under conditions suitable for biomass conversion to a fuel.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein in step (a), the phosphorous-containing compound is phosphoric acid.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein in step (b), the silica-containing binder comprises kaolin.

13. The process of claim 10 , further comprising washing the shaped bodies to adjust to a pH value of about 8 prior to contacting the shaped bodies with the particulate biomass.

14. The process of claim 10 , further comprising, prior to step (b), calcining the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein in step (e) the reactor is a fluidized bed reactor.

16. The process of claim 10 , wherein one or both of the silica-containing binder and shaped bodies are free of or substantially free of amorphous alumina.

17. The process of claim 10 , wherein the yield of the fuel is higher than that produced by a biomass conversion method without step (a) or (b).

18. The process of claim 10 , wherein a coke resulting from step e) is lower than that from a biomass conversion method without step (a) or (b).

19. A process for making a catalyst for biomass conversion, the process comprising:

(a) treating a ZSM-5 zeolite with a phosphorous-containing compound to form a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component;

(b) preparing a slurry comprising the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder;

(c) shaping the slurry into shaped bodies; and

(d) calcining the shaped bodies.

20. The process of claim 19 , wherein the phosphorous-containing compound is phosphoric acid.