An Environmentally Benign Catalytic Process Enhances in Situ the Quality of Gasoline

Abstract

Abstract In the present research work an in situ conversion process of light-light cracked naphtha (LLCN) to strong anti-knocking mixtures is proposed as a potential solution to the serious drawbacks from the use of gasoline ether oxygenates (MTBE, ETBE, TAME) from the refineries. Aqueous biphasic Rh/TPPTS-catalysed hydroformylation reaction of olefins present in a Greek refinery naphtha cut comprises the first part of the two-step proposed process. The second part of the proposed LLCN upgrade process is the in situ hydrogenation of the produced aldehydes to the corresponding alcohols catalysed by Ru/TPPTS complex in aqueous media. Both catalytic systems of Rh/TPPTS and Ru/TPPTS were revealed as effective catalytic systems for biphasic hydroformylation and biphasic hydrogenation of complicated mixtures, respectively. The effect of the pressure, temperature and time of the reactions, as well as the influence of the L/Me molar ratio were investigated. In the first step (hydroformylation reaction) as well as in the second step (hydrogenation reaction) the highest conversion of more than 95% of the olefins and aldehydes respectively was observed at mild conditions, at a short reaction time. The upgraded LLCN could potentially replace the harmful gasoline ether oxygenates from the refinery blended gasoline pools with an in situ and an environmentally friendly catalytic process. Therefore, the ultimate fuel will contain more oxygen, due to the producing favourable strong anti-knocking alcohol mixtures; it will have better combustion properties and bigger octane numbers.