Boosted Bio-Jet production: Unveiling the potential of a one-stage concurrent process of deoxygenation/upgrading versus two-stage sequential processes using Pt/Cl-Al2O3@Ni/ZSM-5 catalysts

Abstract

Bio-jet fuel production from renewable bioresources is an increasingly attractive approach for mitigating the environmental impacts of aviation. Among the different methods available for deriving bio-jet fuel from fatty acids, catalytic hydroprocessing has emerged as a promising and commercially viable technique. Recent studies have focused on identifying suitable catalysts to produce kerosene-type bio-jet fuel, which can serve as blend stocks for aviation fuel after further cracking and isomerization. In this study, a bi-layer catalyst Pt/Cl-Al2O3@Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst was prepared and characterized using various techniques (including XRD, TEM, NH3–TPD, FTIR, H2–TPR, XPS, surface area, and pore size measurements). The thus-prepared catalyst is tested for bio-jet fuel production from Palm kernel oil (PKO). A novel one-stage process yields a high iso-alkane content with a low freezing point of –57 °C. The proposed Pt/Cl-Al2O3@Ni/ZSM-5 bi-layer catalysts in a one-stage process provided satisfactory results, with a conversion rate of 96%. The primary component of the resulting bio-jet fuel was alkanes in the C8-C16 range, with an isomers/normal-alkane (I/N) ratio of 2 and a proportion of 75.6 wt%. Interestingly, the produced bio-jet fuel using the one-stage strategy has significant potential for use as a blend stock to enhance the properties of traditional jet fuels (Jet A and Jet A-1, JP-5, and JP-8).