Renewable Diesel Production from Palm Fatty Acids Distillate (PFAD) via Deoxygenation Reactions

Brenda Fernanda Honorato De Oliveira,Luiz Ferreira De França,Mauricio Velasquez,Nádia Cristina Fernandes Corrêa,Nielson Fernando Da Paixão Ribeiro

doi:10.3390/catal11091088

Brenda Fernanda Honorato De Oliveira, Luiz Ferreira De França + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11091088

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Journal: Catalysts	Publication Date: Sep 9, 2021
Citations: 5	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará

Abstract

The reactions to produce liquid biofuels from a palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) under hydrogen absence were carried out using 10 wt% NiO/zeolite (Ni/Zeo), 10 wt% Co3O4/zeolite (Co/Zeo), and 10 wt% (NiO + Co3O4)/zeolite (NiCo/Zeo) as catalysts. The zeolite was synthesized by a thermal and chemical treatment from natural clay, obtaining a zeolite A and sodalite mixture. Catalytic activity was evaluated as a function of reaction temperature (250, 300, and 350 °C) during 0.5 h and using 5 wt% of catalyst. The reaction products were classified as organic liquid products (OLPs), gaseous products, and solid waste. The OLPs fractions were separated by fractional distillation, and the products were identified and quantified using gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS). The results showed yields to OLPs above 50% for all catalysts and temperatures. However, the highest yield to OLPs of 67.9% was reached with a NiCoZeo catalyst at 300 °C. In this reaction, a higher yield to hydrocarbons was obtained (84.8%), indicating a cooperative effect between Ni and Co in the catalyst. Hydrocarbons such as heptadecane (C17H36), pentadecane (C15H26), and other alkanes-alkenes with lower carbon chains were the main products. Therefore, deoxygenation of PFAD using a low-cost Ni-Co catalyst was shown to be an economic and viable way to produce diesel-type biofuels.

Highlights

The current dependence on petroleum as a primary energy resource is associated with different environmental problems such as high emissions of gases (SOx, nitrogen oxides (NOx), CO, CO2, and COVs) that are responsible for phenomena such as acid rain and climate change
The palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a byproduct of the physical refining and deodorization of crude palm oil and is mainly composed of free fatty acids such as palmitic (C16 ) and oleic (C18 ). Valorization of this raw material has gained interest in the past few years since it does not compete with the food industry and has the potential to be transformed into diesel- or gasoline-type fuels through catalytic reactions such as cracking and deoxygenation [5,6,7]
A systematic procedure was made to evaluate the catalytic activity of Ni, Co, and

Summary

Introduction

It is well known that the petroleum reserves are finite; the search for new efficient energy vectors obtained from renewable sources is a priority for actual government policies and private enterprises In this sense, different technologies and renewable raw materials have been investigated for biofuel production [1,2]. The palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a byproduct of the physical refining and deodorization of crude palm oil and is mainly composed of free fatty acids such as palmitic (C16 ) and oleic (C18 ) Valorization of this raw material has gained interest in the past few years since it does not compete with the food industry and has the potential to be transformed into diesel- or gasoline-type fuels through catalytic reactions such as cracking and deoxygenation [5,6,7]

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