Non-catalytic cracking of jojoba oil to produce fuel and chemical by-products

Abstract

Thermal non-catalytic cracking of jojoba oil, a non-triacylglyceride-based wax produced by the desert plant, Simmondsia chinensis, was compared to that of triacylglyceride-based soybean oil. Optimum liquid product yield was produced at a higher temperature for jojoba oil compared to soybean oil but at similar reaction pressure and residence time. At optimum conditions, jojoba oil generated a similar gas phase fraction as soybean oil while the liquid product contained a smaller quantity of undesirable polyaromatic and non-GC-elutable (low volatility high-MW) products, with nearly 90% of the cracking liquid product being GC quantifiable. This product included a mixture of linear saturated short-chain fatty acids whose size distribution peaked at C10. It also included alkanes (predominantly linear) that peaked at C7–C8, and smaller concentrations of alkenes, aromatics, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, jojoba oil is an excellent renewable feedstock for the production of replacements for petroleum-derived transportation fuels and chemicals.