Integrated Process to Selectively Convert Renewable Isobutanol to P-Xylene

The present invention is directed to a method for preparing renewable and relatively high purity p-xylene from biomass. For example, biomass treated to provide a fermentation feedstock is fermented with a microorganism capable of producing a C4 alcohol such as isobutanol, then sequentially dehydrating the isobutanol in the presence of a dehydration catalyst to provide a C4 alkene such as isobutylene, dimerizing the C4 alkene to a form one or more C8 alkenes such as 2,4,4-trimethylpentenes or 2,5-dimethylhexene, then dehydrocyclizing the C8 alkenes in the presence of a dehydrocyclization catalyst to selectively form renewable p-xylene in high overall yield. The p-xylene can then be oxidized to form terephthalic acid or terephthalate esters.