Catalytic Hydro-Cracking of Bio-Oil to Bio-Fuel

Abstract

Over the last hundred years, fossil fuels consumption has increased dramatically leading to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, the depletion of natural reserves of fossil fuels and increase fuel production costs. Consequently, renewable and sustainable fuel sources such as bio-oil are receiving increased attention. In bio-oils, such as microalgae oil, triglycerides and fatty acids are sustainable resources with high energy densities that can be converted into liquid hydrocarbon fuels, efficiently. One of the efficient ways for bio-oil conversion to applicable fuels is catalytic hydro-cracking. This chapter presents research on the catalytic conversion of oleic acid (main component in all types of bio-oil) in bio-oil to liquid hydrocarbon fuels employing two catalysts. These catalysts include Ni-ZSM-5 and Ni-Zeolite β, which were prepared by impregnating cheap catalyst supports (ZSM-5 and Zeolite β) with Ni(NO3)2·6H2O calcined at a temperature of 500 °C. The catalysts were characterized using the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller Nitrogen Adsorption technique, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and SEM–EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) to analyse nickel impregnation and measure surface areas and pore size distribution. Conversion rates of oleic acid and product yields of liquid hydrocarbon fuels using each catalyst sample were determined via hydro-cracking reactions run at a temperature range of 300–450 °C and under a 30 bar pressure.