Abstract
Catalytic hydrotreating is an attractive method for
upgrading bio-derived oils into renewable feedstocks with
less oxygen content, suitable for producing valuable
hydrocarbons through various petro-refinery processes.
This study evaluates the catalytic activity of a
commercial alumina (Al2O3) supported NiMo catalyst for
hydrotreating tall oil feeds such as crude tall oil
(CTO), distilled tall oil (DTO), and tall oil fatty acid
(TOFA). Catalytic experiments carried out in a
bench-scale fixed bed reactor set-up at different process
conditions [space velocity (1-3 h-1), temperature
(325-450°C), and H2 pressure (5 MPa)] produced a
wide-range of products from tall oil feeds. Hydrotreating
of TOFA produced highest yield of n-alkanes (>80 wt%)
compared to DTO and CTO hydrotreating. A high conversion
of fatty acids and resin acids was obtained in DTO
hydrotreating. In CTO hydrotreating, a drop in conversion
of fatty acids and resin acids was observed especially at
the lowest temperature tested (325°C). The study revealed
that there are various deoxygenation pathways
preferential at different hydrotreating temperatures. As
an example for TOFA, the decarboxylation route is
dominant over the hydrodeoxygenation route at high
temperatures (>400°C).
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 286-299 |
Journal | Energy Science & Engineering |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- commercial NiMo catalyst
- decarboxylation
- hydrogenation
- hydrotreating
- tall oil