Transformation of Bioderived 1-Decanol to Diesel-like Fuel and Biobased Oil via Dehydration and Oligomerization Reactions

Abstract

The production of diesel-like fuel and base oil from bioderived fatty alcohol through a two-steps process, dehydration reaction and oligomerization reaction, was studied. The bioderived 1-decanol was converted to olefin mixtures and di-n-decyl ether via the dehydration over commercial γ-alumina catalysts with and without acid modification in a fixed-bed reactor at different temperatures. The catalysts studied were characterized using nitrogen adsorption, temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The dehydration reaction over the unmodified Al2O3 was found to be dominant toward the selectivity for 1-decene. The modified Al2O3 was shown to promote skeletal internal isomerization and cracking reaction due to strong acid sites. Furthermore, the stability testing results of 1.5 M (H2SO4)/Al2O3 at 573 K demonstrated a rapid deactivation of strong acid sites during the first 10 h of operation. Oligomerization of mixed olefins (1-decanol, 1-decene, and internal olefin) ...