Brown grease pyrolysis under pressure: Extending the range of reaction conditions and hydrocarbon product distributions

Abstract

Pyrolysis of brown grease to hydrocarbon products was performed in a pressure reactor. Compared to our previous work at atmospheric pressure, higher reaction temperatures could be achieved. These resulted in shorter reaction times, reduced formation of undesirable ketone byproducts, and a higher percentage of the most valuable light hydrocarbon products. Higher temperatures did, however, increase the percentage of gas products at the expense of liquid products. The major liquid products are alkanes ranging from heptane to heptadecane, with smaller amounts of cycloalkanes, and in some cases, aromatic compounds.