Environment-friendly deoxygenation of non-edible Ceiba oil to liquid hydrocarbon biofuel: process parameters and optimization study.

Nur Hafawati Binti Abdullah,Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap,Hwei Voon Lee,Hwai Chyuan Ong,Nurul Asikin Mijan

doi:10.1007/s11356-022-18508-4

Abstract

Non-edible Ceiba oil has the potential to be a sustainable biofuel resource in tropical countries that can replace a portion of today's fossil fuels. Catalytic deoxygenation of the Ceiba oil (high O/C ratio) was conducted to produce hydrocarbon biofuel (high H/C ratio) over NiO-CaO5/SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst with aims of high diesel selectivity and catalyst reusability. In the present study, response surface methodology (RSM) technique with Box-Behnken experimental designs (BBD) was used to evaluate and optimize liquid hydrocarbon yield by considering the following deoxygenation parameters: catalyst loading (1-9 wt. %), reaction temperature (300-380°C) and reaction time (30-180min). According to the RSM results, the maximum yield for liquid hydrocarbon n-(C8-C20) was found to be 77% at 340°C within 105min and 5 wt. % catalyst loading. In addition, the deoxygenation model showed that the catalyst loading-reaction time interaction has a major impact on the deoxygenation activity. Based on the product analysis, oxygenated species from Ceiba oil were successfully removed in the form of CO2/CO via decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCOx) pathways. The NiO-CaO5/SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst rendered stable reusability for five consecutive runs with liquid hydrocarbon yield within the range of 66-75% with n-(C15 + C17) selectivity of 64-72%. Despite this, coke deposition was observed after several times of catalyst usage, which is due to the high deoxygenation temperature (> 300°C) that resulted in unfavourable polymerization side reaction.

Highlights

Non-edible Ceiba oil has feasibility as a sustainable biofuel resource in tropical countries that act as alternative to a portion of the fossil fuels used today
It was discovered that the optimum yield for hydrocarbon fractionsn-(C8 – C20 ) was 77% under deoxygenation condition of 5 wt.% catalyst loading, reaction temperature of 340°C within 105 min
Deoxygenation model indicated that interaction effects of catalyst loading-reaction time influence the deoxygenation activity greatly

Summary

Introduction

Non-edible Ceiba oil has feasibility as a sustainable biofuel resource in tropical countries that act as alternative to a portion of the fossil fuels used today. Catalytic deoxygenation of the Ceiba oil (high O/C ratio) was conducted to produce hydrocarbon biofuel (high H/C ratio)over NiO-CaO5 /SiO2 -Al2O3catalyst with aims of high diesel selectivity and catalyst reusability.

Results

Conclusion