Hydrocracking optimization of palm oil to bio-gasoline and bio-aviation fuels using molybdenum nitride-bentonite catalyst

Enhancement of Catalytic Activity on Crude Palm Oil Hydrocracking over SiO2/Zr Assisted with Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate

In this study, the catalytic activity of bifunctional SiO₂/Zr catalysts prepared by template and chelate methods using potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHF) for crude palm oil (CPO) hydrocracking to biofuels was investigated. The parent catalyst was successfully prepared by the sol-gel method, followed by the impregnation of zirconium using ZrOCl₂·8H₂O as a precursor. The morphological, structural, and textural properties of the catalysts were examined using several techniques, including electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray with mapping, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, particle size analyzer (PSA), N₂ adsorption-desorption, Fourier transform infrared-pyridine, and total and surface acidity analysis using the gravimetric method. The results showed that the physicochemical properties of SiO₂/Zr were affected by different preparation methods. The template method assisted by KHF (SiO₂/Zr-KHF2 and SiO₂-KHF catalysts) provides a porous structure and high catalyst acidity. The catalyst prepared by the chelate method assisted by KHF (SiO₂/Zr-KHF1) exhibited excellent Zr dispersion toward the SiO₂ surface. The modification remarkably enhanced the catalytic activity of the parent catalyst in the order SiO₂/Zr-KHF2 > SiO₂/Zr-KHF1 > SiO₂/Zr > SiO₂-KHF > SiO₂, with sufficient CPO conversion. The modified catalysts also suppressed coke formation and resulted in a high liquid yield. The catalyst features of SiO₂/Zr-KHF1 promoted high-selectivity biofuel toward biogasoline, whereas SiO₂/Zr-KHF2 led to an increase in the selectivity toward biojet. Reusability studies showed that the prepared catalysts were adequately stable over three consecutive runs for CPO conversion. Overall, SiO₂/Zr prepared by the template method assisted by KHF was chosen as the most prominent catalyst for CPO hydrocracking.

Waste cooking oil processing over cobalt aluminate nanoparticles for liquid biofuel hydrocarbons production

The catalytic conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) was carried out over a synthetic nano catalyst of cobalt aluminate (CoAl₂O₄) to produce biofuel range fractions. A precipitation method was used to create a nanoparticle catalyst, which was then examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray, nitrogen adsorption measurements, high-resolution transmission electron Microscopy (HRTEM), infrared spectroscopy, while a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was used to analyze the chemical construction of the liquid biofuel. A range of experimental temperatures was looked at including 350, 375, 400, 425, and 450 °C; hydrogen pressure of 50, 2.5, and 5.0 MPa; and liquid hour space velocity (LHSV) of 1, 2.5, and 5 h^-1. As temperature, pressure, and liquid hourly space velocity increased, the amount of bio-jet and biodiesel fractional products decreased, while liquid light fraction hydrocarbons increased. 93% optimum conversion of waste cooking oil over CoAl₂O₄ nano-particles was achieved at 400 °C, 50 bar, and 1 h^-1 (LHSV) as 20% yield of bio-jet range,16% gasoline, and 53% biodiesel. According to the product analysis, catalytic hydrocracking of WCO resulted in fuels with chemical and physical characteristics that were on par with those required for fuels derived from petroleum. The study's findings demonstrated the nano cobalt aluminate catalyst's high performance in a catalytic cracking process, which resulted in a WCO to biofuel conversion ratio that was greater than 90%. In this study, we looked at cobalt aluminate nanoparticles as a less complex and expensive alternative to traditional zeolite catalysts for the catalytic cracking process used to produce biofuel and thus can be manufactured locally, which saves the cost of imports for us as a developing country.

Potential of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester as Diesel Blends Produced from Free Fatty Acid in Waste Cooking Oil Catalyzed by Montmorillonite-Sulfonated Carbon

This research, biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO), was conducted using a montmorillonite-sulfonated carbon catalyst from molasses. The biodiesel product would be blended with diesel fuel with various volume variations to see its fuel properties. The catalyst was assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, and acidity analysis using the titration method. The effect of the weight ratio of montmorillonite to sulfonated carbon was also evaluated. The process of esterification reaction was optimized using the response surface methodology with a central composite design (RSM-CCD). The study showed that the weight ratio of montmorillonite to sulfonated carbon of 1:3 generated the highest acidity of 9.79 mmol/g with a prominent enhanced surface area and was further employed to optimize the esterification reaction. The optimum condition was obtained at a reaction temperature of 78.12°C, catalyst weight of 2.98 g, and reaction time of 118.27 with an FFA conversion of 74.101%. The optimum condition for the mixture of FAME and diesel fuel was achieved at the composition of the B20 blend, which met the FAME standard. The reusability study revealed that the catalyst had adequate stability at three consecutive runs, with a reduced performance was 18.60%. The reduction of FFA conversion was due to the leaching of the catalyst’s active site. This study disclosed that the FAME generated from the esterification of FFA on WCO-catalyzed montmorillonite-sulfonated carbon had a promising option as biodiesel blends for increasing the quality of commercial diesel.

Hydrocracking optimization of palm oil over NiMoO4/activated carbon catalyst to produce biogasoline and kerosine

The conversion of palm oil into biofuel is continuing interest in a green alternative fuel. Catalytic hydrocracking palm oil into biofuels was carried out by NiMoO4/activated carbon catalyst. The catalyst was first designed from nanoparticle NiO–MoO3 supported by activated carbon from palm kernel shell and characterized using X-ray crystallography, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray. The efficiency of the catalyst was evaluated for the conversion of palm oil into biogasoline and kerosene using the hydrocracking process at different temperatures (150, 250, and 350°C). The resulting catalytic hydrocracking is liquid biofuels, which is analyzed using GC–MC to determine its fractions: biogasoline (C5–C10) and kerosine (C11–C16). The optimum condition of catalytic hydrocracking was obtained at a temperature of 150°C resulting in two primary fractions classified into biogasoline (37.83%) consisting of n-nonane (C9) and 1-heptene (C7) and kerosine (61.34%) consisting of three primary fractions, n-pentadecane (C15), hexadecene (C16), and 1-undecene (C11). The result of this study proved that the NiMoO4/activated carbon catalyst plays an important role in catalytic hydrocracking and becomes a promising alternative catalyst for the preparation of biofuels.

Facile Fabrication of SiO2/Zr Assisted with EDTA Complexed-Impregnation and Templated Methods for Crude Palm Oil to Biofuels Conversion via Catalytic Hydrocracking

Zr-containing SiO2 and their parent catalysts were fabricated with different methods using EDTA chelation and template-assist. The activity of the catalysts was explored in crude palm oil (CPO) hydrocracking, conducted under a continuous system micro-cylindrical reactor. The conversion features and the selectivity towards biofuel products were also examined. The physicochemical of catalysts, such as structure phase, functional groups, surface morphologies, acidity features, and particle size, were investigated. The study showed that the template method promoted the crystalline porous catalysts, whereas the chelate method initiated the non-porous structure. The catalysts’ acidity features of SiO2 and SiO2/Zr were affected by the preparation, which revealed that the EDTA chelate-assisted method provided higher acidity features compared with the template method. The CPO hydrocracking study showed that the SiO2/Zr-CEDTA provided the highest catalytic activity towards the hydrocracking process, with 87.37% of conversion attained with 66.29%.wt of liquid product. This catalyst exhibited selectivity towards bio-jet (36.88%), bio-diesel (31.43%), and bio-gasoline (26.80%). The reusability study revealed that the SiO2/Zr-CEDTA had better stability towards CPO conversion compared with SiO2/Zr-CEDTA, with a low decrease in catalyst performance at three consecutive runs.

Hydrodeoxygenation–Isomerization of Methyl Palmitate over SAPO-11-Supported Ni-Phosphide Catalysts

Ni-phosphide catalysts on SAPO-11 were studied in the hydrodeoxygenation–isomerization of methyl palmitate (C15H31COOCH3—MP). The catalysts were synthesized using temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) of a phosphate precursor ((NH4)2HPO4 and Ni(CH3CH2COO)2), TPR of a phosphite precursor (H3PO3 and Ni(OH)2), and using phosphidation of Ni/SAPO-11 by PPh3 in the liquid phase. The samples were characterized by ICP-AES chemical analysis, N2 physisorption, NH3-TPD, XRD, and TEM. First, the screening of the catalysts prepared by the TPR method was carried out in a semi-batch autoclave to determine the influence of the preparation method and conditions on one-pot HDO–isomerization (290–380 °C, 2–3 MPa). The precursor’s nature and the amount of phosphorus strongly influenced the activity of the catalysts and their surface area and acidity. Isomerization occurred only at a low P content (Ni/P = 2/1) and blocking of the SAPO-11 channels by unreduced phosphates at higher P contents did not allow us to obtain iso-alkanes. Experiments with liquid phosphidation samples in a continuous-flow reactor also showed the strong dependence of activity on phosphidation duration as well as on Ni content. The highest yield of isomerized products (66% iso-C15–16 hydrocarbons, at complete conversion of O-containing compounds, 340 °C, 2 MPa, and LHSV = 5.3 h−1) was obtained over 7% Ni2P/SAPO-11 prepared by the liquid phosphidation method.

Enhanced Isopropyl Alcohol Conversion over Acidic Nickel Phosphate-Supported Zeolite Catalysts

In this preliminary research, the catalytic activity of isopropyl alcohol conversion to diisopropyl ether through dehydration reaction catalyzed by zeolite-Ni and zeolite-Ni(H₂PO₄)₂ was comparatively described. The natural zeolite was treated with 1% HF and 6 N HCl prior to modifications using the impregnation method. Isopropyl alcohol conversion was examined at a mild temperature of 150 °C for 3.5 h on the reflux system with various catalyst loadings. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the successful impregnation of nickel and nickel phosphate into the zeolite. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed a cubic-like structure on zeolite-Ni(H₂PO₄)₂, whereas homogenously distributed nickel species were observed on the zeolite-Ni catalyst. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis reinforced the accomplishment of zeolite modifications. The N₂ physisorption isotherms showed a decline in the surface area and total pore volume of the zeolite because of the blocking of pores. The zeolite-Ni(H₂PO₄)₂ catalyst had higher acidity than unmodified zeolite and zeolite-Ni catalysts, which inherently suggested that the presence of phosphate groups results in higher catalytic activity toward isopropyl alcohol. The highest catalytic activity was attained by 8 mEq/g metal loading zeolite-Ni(H₂PO₄)₂ with isopropyl alcohol conversion of 81.51%, diisopropyl ether yield, and selectivity of 40.77 and 33.16%. The reusability study suggested that the zeolite-Ni(H₂PO₄)₂ catalyst was still active and had sufficient catalytic activity stability toward isopropyl alcohol after the third cycle was reused. This nickel phosphate-based modified zeolite was adequately potential for diisopropyl ether production through isopropyl alcohol dehydration.

Hydrocracking of crude palm oil to a biofuel using zirconium nitride and zirconium phosphide-modified bentonite

In this study, bentonite modified by zirconium nitride (ZrN) and zirconium phosphide (ZrP) catalysts was studied in the hydrocracking of crude palm oil to biofuels. The study demonstrated that bentonite was propitiously modified by ZrN and ZrP, as assessed by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX analysis. The acidity of the bentonite catalyst was remarkably enhanced by ZrN and ZrP, and it showed an increased intensity in the Lewis acid and Brønsted acid sites, as presented by pyridine FTIR. In the hydrocracking application, the highest conversion was achieved by bentonite-ZrN at 8 mEq g⁻¹ catalyst loading of 87.93%, whereas bentonite-ZrP at 10 mEq g⁻¹ showed 86.04% conversion, which suggested that there was a strong positive correlation between the catalyst acidity and the conversion under a particular condition. The biofuel distribution fraction showed that both the catalysts produced a high bio-kerosene fraction, followed by bio-gasoline and oil fuel fractions. The reusability study revealed that both the catalysts had sufficient conversion stability of CPO through the hydrocracking reaction up to four consecutive runs with a low decrease in the catalyst activity. Overall, bentonite-ZrN dominantly favored the hydrocracking of CPO than bentonite-ZrP.

In this study, bentonite modified by zirconium nitride (ZrN) and zirconium phosphide (ZrP) catalysts was studied in the hydrocracking of crude palm oil to biofuels.