FFA Conversion Research Articles

Highly Efficient and Selective Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Furfural Using Interface-Active Rice Husk-Based Porous Carbon-Supported NiCu Alloy Catalysts.

A series of bimetallic NixCuy catalysts with different metal molar ratios, supported on nitric acid modified rice husk-based porous carbon (RHPC), were prepared using a simple impregnation method for the liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural (FFA) to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA). The Ni2Cu1/RHPC catalyst, with an average metal particle size of 9.3 nm, exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the selective hydrogenation of FFA to THFA. The 100% conversion of FFA and the 99% selectivity to THFA were obtained under mild reaction conditions (50 °C, 1 MPa, 1 h), using water as a green reaction solvent. The synergistic effect of NiCu alloy ensures the high catalytic activity. The acid sites and oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of the modified RHPC can enhance the selectivity of THFA. The Ni2Cu1/RHPC catalyst offers good cyclability and regenerability. The current work proposes a simple method for preparing an NiCu bimetallic catalyst. The catalyst exhibits excellent performance in the catalytic hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, which broadens the application of non-noble metal bimetallic nanocatalysts in the catalytic hydrogenation of furfural.

Hollow UiO-66-NH2 Encapsulated Pd Catalysts for Highly Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol.

The selective hydrogenation of furfural (FFA) to furfuryl alcohol (FA) is regarded as attractive transformation to achieve the sustainable synthesis of value-added chemicals from biomass resources. However, the conventional supported catalysts are significantly restricted by their narrow pore size, ununiform dispersion and easy leaching or aggregation of catalytic sites. Herein, we designed hollow UiO-66-NH2 as the support to encapsulate Pd nanoparticles (Pd@H-UiO-66-NH2) to achieve the highly active and selective conversion of FFA to FA. Benefiting from the void-confinement effect and substrate enrichment of hollow structure, as well as the surface wrinkles, the as-prepared catalyst Pd@H-UiO-66-NH2 exhibited 96.8 % conversion of FFA with satisfactory selectivity reaching up to 92.4 % at 80 °C, 0.5 MPa H2 in isopropanol solvent within 6 h. More importantly, as-prepared Pd@H-UiO-66-NH2 catalyst exhibited excellent long-term stability, as well as good universality toward a series of hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Catabolic System of 5-Formylferulic Acid, a Downstream Metabolite of a β-5-Type Lignin-Derived Dimer, in Sphingobium lignivorans SYK-6.

Sphingobium lignivorans SYK-6 can assimilate various lignin-derived aromatic compounds, including a β-5-type (phenylcoumaran-type) dimer, dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol (DCA). SYK-6 converts DCA to a stilbene-type intermediate via multiple reaction steps and then to vanillin and 5-formylferulic acid (FFA). Here, we first elucidated the catabolic pathway of FFA, which is the only unknown pathway in DCA catabolism. Then, we identified and characterized the enzyme-encoding genes responsible for this pathway. Analysis of the metabolites revealed that FFA was converted to 5-carboxyferulic acid (CFA) through oxidation of the formyl group, followed by conversion to ferulic acid by decarboxylation. A comprehensive analysis of the aldehyde dehydrogenase genes in SYK-6 indicated that NAD+-dependent FerD (SLG_12800) is crucial for the conversion of FFA to CFA. LigW and LigW2, which are 5-carboxyvanillic acid decarboxylases involved in the catabolism of a 5,5-type dimer, were found to be involved in the conversion of CFA to ferulic acid, and LigW2 played a significant role. The ligW2 gene forms an operon with ferD, and their transcription was induced during growth in DCA.

Corncob-Derived Sulfonated Magnetic Solid Catalyst Synthesis as Heterogeneous Catalyst in The Esterification of Waste Cooking Oil and Bibliometric Analysis

A corncob-derived magnetic solid acid catalyst was synthesized through the sulfonation method and an impregnation process, respectively. In the sulfonation process, the concentrated H2SO4 was utilized as an activation agent to obtain acidic properties. The solution of ferric sulphate-ferrous sulphate was utilized for impregnation to generate the magnetic behaviour of the material. The prepared magnetic acid solid catalyst had a high saturation magnetisation value of 16.48 emu/g and a total acidity of 1.43 mmol/g. The performance of the catalyst was evaluated in the esterification reaction of waste cooking oil. The best result presented 86.12% FFA conversion under reaction conditions of 5% catalyst loading and a 1:15 oil-to-methanol molar ratio at 60oC for 4 h. The catalyst was separated magnetically from the reaction solution and exhibited a good reusability with 61% remaining active after 5 consecutive cycles of reaction. This study resulted in a promising method to obtain magnetic-sulfonated carbon-based catalyst from corncob residue, and it is economical potentially and environmentally friendly for the esterification of low-quality feedstock for biodiesel production.

Biochar-based bi-functional catalyst derived from rubber seed shell and eggshell for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil

The application of biomass-based sources for energy generation has attracted much interest in recent times due to theirenvironmental benefits. In this study, the potential use of rubber seed shells and eggshells in the synthesis of bi-functional catalysts for biodiesel production has been investigated. The catalyst was produced in a sequence of steps that includedcarbonization, sulfonation, calcination, and impregnation. The catalyst was characterized using Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. The catalysts’ performance was assessed throughthe simultaneous esterification and transesterification of waste cooking oil with a free fatty acid content of 2.9 %. Response surface methodology based on central composite design was employed to model and optimize the process. The factors investigated included methanol/oil ratio (4:1 – 20:1), catalyst concentration (1 – 5 wt%), reaction temperature (50 – 70 °C), and time (1 – 5 h). The catalyst was found to have a specific surface area of 241.0 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.189 cc/g, and a pore size of 1.132 nm. A methanol/oil molar ratio of 14.2:1, catalyst concentration of 2.0 wt%, temperature of 62.5 °C, and reaction time of 2.3 h were the optimum reaction conditions required to achieve an optimum average biodiesel yield of 89.4 % and FFA conversion of 91.8 %. Also, the leaching of the catalysts wasinsignificant, and the catalysts demonstrated good reusability, producing a biodiesel yield of 81.9 % after the fifth cycle. The physicochemical properties of the produced biodiesel fall within the ranges of the recommended ASTM 6751 and EN14214 international standards. The utilization of rubber seeds and eggshells for catalyst synthesis offers a promising, cost-effective, and eco-friendly way to produce biodiesel.

Catalysed biodiesel synthesis from non-edible Nagkesar and Rubber seed oil blends using C1-C3 alcohol mixtures: Process optimization, kinetics and thermodynamics

Biodiesel has gained worldwide attention due to an impending energy crisis, while a food-vs-fuel dispute prevents edible oils from usage in fuel synthesis. Therefore, blends of nagkesar (MFL) oil and rubber seed (RS) oil were studied for their two-step heterogeneous (doped MFL seed shell char) catalysed conversion into biodiesel. 96.87 % FFA conversion occurred from 2:3 MFL-RS ratio at 55 °C with 3%w/w H2SO4-doped catalyst using 50%w/w methanol under 850 rpm within 2 h. 98.97 % biodiesel yield was noted using 2:3 methanol to 2-propanol ratio at 60 °C with 4.5%w/w KOH-doped catalyst under 900 rpm within 2 h. From kinetics study revealed that FFA pre-treatment shows Ea of 3.26 kJ/mol and A = 2.52 min−1; base catalysed conversion shows Ea of 1.27 kJ/mol and A = 3.26 min−1. Thermodynamics study confirms non-spontaneity of processes, FFA pre-treatment being endothermic and final conversion being exothermic. Catalyst reuse showed that KOH-doped catalyst was more reusable than sulfonated catalyst.

Potential of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester as Diesel Blends Produced from Free Fatty Acid in Waste Cooking Oil Catalyzed by Montmorillonite-Sulfonated Carbon

This research, biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO), was conducted using a montmorillonite-sulfonated carbon catalyst from molasses. The biodiesel product would be blended with diesel fuel with various volume variations to see its fuel properties. The catalyst was assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, and acidity analysis using the titration method. The effect of the weight ratio of montmorillonite to sulfonated carbon was also evaluated. The process of esterification reaction was optimized using the response surface methodology with a central composite design (RSM-CCD). The study showed that the weight ratio of montmorillonite to sulfonated carbon of 1:3 generated the highest acidity of 9.79 mmol/g with a prominent enhanced surface area and was further employed to optimize the esterification reaction. The optimum condition was obtained at a reaction temperature of 78.12°C, catalyst weight of 2.98 g, and reaction time of 118.27 with an FFA conversion of 74.101%. The optimum condition for the mixture of FAME and diesel fuel was achieved at the composition of the B20 blend, which met the FAME standard. The reusability study revealed that the catalyst had adequate stability at three consecutive runs, with a reduced performance was 18.60%. The reduction of FFA conversion was due to the leaching of the catalyst’s active site. This study disclosed that the FAME generated from the esterification of FFA on WCO-catalyzed montmorillonite-sulfonated carbon had a promising option as biodiesel blends for increasing the quality of commercial diesel.

Highly dispersed PdCu supported on MCM-41 for efficiently selective transfer hydrogenation of furfural into furfuryl alcohol

Biomass-derived furfural (FFA) to furfuryl alcohol (FOL) by selective hydrogenation is challenging due to the diverse unsaturated groups. Herein, a series of bimetallic PdCu supported on MCM-41 catalysts are prepared for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of FFA to FOL. As confirmed by XRD, H2-TPR and TEM, trace concentrations of Pd (0.025 wt.%) are introduced into host Cu nanoparticles (NPs), in which Pd-Cu NPs with an average particle size of 2.6 ± 0.8 nm are highly distributed on the surface and in the pores of MCM-41 supports. Expectantly, Pd-Cu/MCM-41 catalysts with low loading (0.025 wt.%Pd-3wt.%Cu) integrate advantages of Cu (high selectivity but poor activity) and Pd sites (superior activity but unselective), exhibiting an exceptionally high hydrogenation performance of 97.4% FFA conversion and 98.3% FOL selectivity under mild conditions (160 °C, 4 h) with isopropanol as the hydrogen source. Therefore, these nano Pd-Cu/MCM-41 catalysts are ideal candidates for the hydrogenation reaction of industrial FFA to FOL due to their high activity and great economic viability.

Spillover Hydrogen on Electron-Rich Ni/m-TiO2 for Hydrogenation of Furfural to Tetrahydrofurfuryl Alcohol

Conversion of biomass-derived furfural (FFA) platform molecule to value-added tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) molecule is a sustainable route using an efficient non-noble metallic catalyst in water solvent. In this work, Ni in various loadings on mesoporous titanium dioxide (m-TiO2) was synthesized in one pot by Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly (EISA). The synthesised catalysts were evaluated for the hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The catalysts were characterised using a combination of spectroscopic techniques such as XRD, H2-TPR, H2-TPD, XPS, SEM-EDX, TEM, and HR-TEM. The characterization results show that the Ni/m-TiO2 materials exhibit enhanced electron-rich active sites, facilitated hydrogen spillover, uniform dispersion of small Ni particles (~5 nm), and strong metal support interaction between Ni and TiO2. Among the various Ni dopings, 7.5 wt.% Ni/m-TiO2 catalyst exhibited the best performance and achieved 99.9% FFA conversion and 93.2% THFA selectivity in water solvent at 100 °C and under 2 MPa H2. Additionally, detailed kinetic studies, process parameters, the stability and reusability of the catalyst were also studied. The results demonstrated that the 7.5 wt.% Ni/m-TiO2 catalyst is highly active and stable.

KONVERSI MINYAK BIJI KAPUK MENJADI BIODIESEL MENGGUNAKAN KATALIS CaO/HTC

This research focuses on producing biodiesel through the transesterification process of Ceiba pentandra triglyceride acid using a CaO/Hydrotalcite (CaO/HTC) catalyst. This study aimed to determine the effect of adding catalyst mass, the mole ratio of oil: methanol to biodiesel yield, and knowing the FAME content of biodiesel yield and the highest impact of adding catalyst mass and the ratio kapok seed oil to FFA conversion results. Kapok seed oil was transesterified for 2 hours at a temperature of 65°C. The molar ratio of oil and methanol used is 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, and 1:25 (%wt). The catalyst used is CaO/HTC, with 3.0977 grams of CaO and 30.9023 grams of hydrotalcite. The best results for biodiesel yield at the ratio of the oil: methanol molar ratio of 1:15 with a catalyst mass of 1.5% wt, which is 66%, while the best % conversion of FFA is in the ratio of oil: methanol molar ratio of 1:25 with a catalyst mass of 1.5%wt which is 90.674%. FAME content of the yield The highest biodiesel contains C15-C26 carbon chains and is dominated by Linoleic Acid Methyl Ester compounds.

Solvent-mediated selectivity control of furfural hydrogenation over a N-doped carbon-nanotube-supported Co/CoOx catalyst

During biomass constituent conversion, solvent choice often plays a critical role in determining product selectivity and reaction pathways. However, the role of the solvent remains poorly understood. In this study, the role of the solvent in furfural (FFA) conversion over a Co/CoOx catalyst supported on N-doped carbon nanotubes (Co/CoOx @N-CNTs) was investigated. In water, cyclopentanone (CPO)/cyclopentanol was produced with high selectivity via Piancatelli rearrangement. In ethanol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFOL) synthesized via furan ring saturation was the major product. The presence of Brønsted acid sites (BASs) in water and the participation of four hydrogen atoms from water molecules promoted FFA conversion via the CPO pathway. By contrast, the absence of BASs in ethanol and the participation of three hydrogen atoms from ethanol molecules resulted in the THFOL pathway being dominant. Furthermore, both thermodynamic properties and oxygen vacancies were found to affect FFA conversion.

Preparation of Highly Active Cu/SiO2 Catalysts for Furfural to 2-Methylfuran by Ammonia Evaporation Method

Biomass plays an important role in the green manufacture of high value-added chemicals. Among them, the conversion of furfural (FFA) into 2-methylfuran (2-MF), catalyzed by a copper-chromium catalyst, is important in its industrial application. However, the use of chromium is limited due to its toxicity and pollution of the environment. In this paper, a Cu/SiO2 catalyst, prepared by the ammonia evaporation method, shows a better catalytic performance compared with that prepared by the co-precipitation method for the vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation of FFA. The selectivity of 2-MF is higher than 80% with almost a complete conversion of FFA. Combined with the characterizations, the superiority of the ammonia evaporation method is attributed to the reduction of highly dispersed copper species and the increased Cu+/(Cu+ + Cu0) ratio due to the formation of a large content of copper phyllosilicate during the preparation. Moreover, Cu+ sites can act as a weak acid site, which improve the surface acidity of the catalyst and facilitate the formation of 2-MF. This new catalytic system provides a feasible and promising strategy for the industrial preparation of 2-MF from FFA, and effectively utilizes biomass resources to promote the development of biomass industry.

Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Sulfates Loaded Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (PEFB) for Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel has been globally accepted as a green substitute for diesel fuel. However, the insecurity of food raised with the application of edible sources in biodiesel production has caused much debate. The feasible alternative technique is the use of inedible and low-grade sources such as palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD). In this work, the production of biodiesel (FAME) from PFAD using solid acid catalysts (SACs) derived from palm empty fruit bunch (PEFB) is investigated. The SACs were synthesized through impregnation of different metal sulfate precursors, i.e. ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O), copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O), and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO4.7H2O) over PEFB. SEM-EDX observations found that impregnation and then calcination resulted in attachment of sulfur (S) and improved surface porosity. FT-IR analysis showed that there were distinct interactions between metal sulfates and PEFB. XRD characterization showed that the prepared catalysts have a crystalline structure. Besides, the catalytic activity of the SACs was closely associated with their acid densities measured by the titration method. Fe-PEFB catalyst showed the highest acid density (2.44 mmol/g) among the catalysts studied. To study the effect of process parameters on FFA conversion (%), optimization of methanol: PFAD molar ratio, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, and reaction time was conducted. Maximum FFA conversion of 89.1% was obtained over Fe-PEFB while Cu-PEFB and Mg-PEFB achieved an FFA conversion of 63 and 56.5%, respectively, under the optimum reaction conditions. Thus, the present study offers a sustainable and environmentally benign method for biodiesel production.

Bimetallic Cu-Ni/MCM-41 catalyst for efficiently selective transfer hydrogenation of furfural into furfural alcohol

Furfural (FFA) is regarded as one of the most important platform chemicals derived directly from biomass and its downstream hydrogenation product of furfural alcohol (FOL) has important industrial value. Therefore, the development of efficient non-noble metals catalysts for FFA hydrogenation to FOL is highly desirable. Herein, a series of Cu-Ni alloy supported on MCM-41 catalysts are developed for catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of FFA into FOL using 2-propanol as hydrogen source and solvent. The Cu-Ni alloy particles are verified by HRTEM and XRD analysis and the introduction of Ni metal improves the dispersion of Cu. Simultaneously, the effects of the Cu-Ni metals content and the Cu/Ni ratio of catalysts in CTH of FFA to FOL are studied. The 15Cu-15Ni/MCM-41 shows the best catalytic performance with 94.5% of FFA conversion and ∼x223C 99% of FOL selectivity, which depends on the synergistic effect within the Cu and Ni metals and moderate hydrogenation capacity of 2-propanol. More importantly, the catalyst still sustains good performance of FFA hydrogenation after being used five times. The possible reaction pathway for CTH of FFA over Cu-Ni/MCM-41 catalyst is discussed: active hydrogens from 2-propanol attack the carbonyl group of FFA activated by metal sites to form FOL. This work provides a feasible sight to develop a referable catalyst system for the industrial CTH of FFA.

Catalytic properties/performance evolution during sono-hydrothermal design of nanocrystalline ceria over zinc oxide for biofuel production

The main objective of this study was to produce biodiesel from waste oil by bifunctional acid-base CeO2(x%)/ZnO nanocatalysts. CeO2 was loaded over mesoporous ZnO in different percentages (X = 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50) to reach the optimum acid-base balance, and remove the internal mass transfer resistance. Ultrasonication was adopted as an efficient approach to synthesize the nanocatalysts with modified features. XRD, FESEM, TEM, EDX, BET-BJH, FTIR TPR-H2, and TPD-NH3 characterization analyses were carried out to identify the as-fabricated nanocatalysts. Bi-metallic nanocatalysts were tested in one-pot biodiesel production from a high free fatty acid containing model of waste oil. In each cycle, the conversion of esterification and transesterification reactions, as well as the overall conversion were estimated, and the superior activity was achieved over sonoassisted designed CeO2 = 20% nanocatalyst (FFA conversion = 80%, TG conversion = 97% and total conversion = 93%). According to the results of analyses, this outcome is depended on the uniform dispersion of active components, high SBET, and pore volume, as well as the suitable acid site density and strength. The promotion effect of ultrasonic waves on CeO2 dispersion not only increased the activity of nanocatalysts but also yielded satisfactory stability. Sono-designed sample with CeO2 = 20% exhibited the most stable nanocatalyst that maintained its performance after five cycles. Moreover, CeO2 = 20% showed high performance without deactivation in the presence of NaCl which is one of the impurity elements in waste cooking oil.

RuO2–Ru/Hβ zeolite catalyst for high-yield direct conversion of xylose to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol

Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFOL), a valuable biomass-derived chemical, is an important precursor for producing linear diols and biodegradable solvents. Herein, we present the one-pot cascade conversion of xylose to THFOL over an Hβ zeolite-supported RuO2–Ru (RuO2–Ru/Hβ) catalyst. To elucidate the structure–property correlation of the RuO2–Ru/Hβ catalyst and achieve a high THFOL yield via sequential isomerization, dehydration, and hydrogenation, several synthesis methods, namely incipient wetness impregnation, reductive deposition, activated reductive deposition, and post-oxidative activated reductive deposition (ARD-O) were used. The best catalytic performance was obtained over the RuO2–Ru/Hβ-ARD-O catalyst. An almost complete conversion of xylose and a high THFOL yield of 61.8% were achieved after 1 h at 180 °C under an initial H2 pressure of 3.0 MPa in tetrahydrofuran. In-depth analyses of the RuO2–Ru/Hβ-ARD-O catalyst furfural (FFA)- and CO-probed diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra indicated the formation of RuO2 at the corner and edge sites of Ru nanoparticles. The direct conversion of FFA to THFOL at interfacial RuO2–Ru sites without furfuryl alcohol (FOL) readsorption hindered the contact of FOL with the acidic support, which suppressed the formation of humin and other byproducts and led to a high THFOL yield.

Transesterification of <em>Jatropha curcas </em>Oil by using K impregnated CaO Heterogeneous Catalyst

Growing environmental concern and fast depletion of conventional fossil fuel resources have induced an urgent search for alternative energy sources. In this regard, biodiesel from Jatropha curcas oil (a non-edible oil), seems to be a very promising alternative. Though a lot of research is already done in catalytic transesterification, in the present work, conversion of high FFA (5.5%) bearing Jatropha oil to biodiesel was carried out using synthesized KF/CaO catalyst. The novelty of this heterogeneous catalyst is the omission of two major steps — neutralization step in which acid is used followed by transesterification using the basic homogeneous catalyst. This present KF/CaO is easily prepared from cheap chemicals and is safe for the environment. Catalytic transesterification of this oil was studied with different reaction parameters to achieve a 97% conversion. Optimization of conditions (methanol-oil molar ratio, catalyst amount, reaction time, and temperature) was also established. The present work makes the process not only safer to the environment but also shows the gateway for greener alternatives to the energy of high FFA oils.

Factorial optimization of biodiesel synthesis from castor-karanja oil blend with methanol-isopropanol mixture through acid/base doped Delonix regia heterogeneous catalysis

Since sourcing a single feedstock for biodiesel synthesis is difficult, castor and karanja oils can be used by a novel two-step approach in which oil blends were esterified and methanol-isopropanol mixture was used to transesterify the pre-treated oil blend. Steam activated Delonix regia char was doped with H2SO4 and KOH to prepare acid and base catalysts. The precursor was TGA analysed for thermal stability and fixed carbon content. The activated carbon and catalysts were characterized using SEM, BET, EDAX, XRD and FT-IR. L25 Taguchi matrices were used for optimization of both acid esterification and base transesterification accommodating 6 parameters at 5 levels each. With a maximum FFA conversion of 98.51%, the optimal biodiesel yield was 99.22%. Tested statistical parameters in ANOVA study show good correlation with predicted values and experimental accuracy. It is seen that compatible non-edible oil blends can be used effectively for biodiesel production, and 2-propanol is far more efficient in transesterification than methanol. Thus, the use of this approach can reduce dependency on a single feedstock as well as propagate the use of higher alcohols to favour higher fuel yields. ASTM characterization of product showed acceptable fuel-grade properties. The developed acid catalyst showed good reusability till 3 reuses, while the base catalyst showed good reusability till 7 reuses. The developed catalysts were checked for preparation costs and seen to be far more cost-effective than commercially available activated carbon, hence they have potential for commercialization.

Hydrogenation of Furfural to Cyclopentanone under Mild Conditions by a Structure‐Optimized Ni−NiO/TiO2 Heterojunction Catalyst

The catalytic conversion of biomass-derived furfural (FFA) into cyclopentanone (CPO) in aqueous solution is an important pathway to obtain sustainable resources. However, the conversion and selectivity under mild conditions are still unsatisfactory. In this study, a catalyst consisting of Ni-NiO heterojunction supported on TiO2 with optimized composition of anatase and rutile (Ni-NiO/TiO2 -Re450) is prepared by pyrolysis at 450 °C. With Ni-NiO/TiO2 -Re450, as catalyst, complete conversion of FFA and 87.4 % yield of CPO are achieved under mild reaction conditions (1 MPa, 140 °C, 6 h). 95.4 % FFA conversion is retained up to the fifth run, indicating the high stability of the catalyst. Multiple characterizations, control experiments, and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the good catalytic performance of Ni-NiO/TiO2 -Re450 can be attributed to a synergistic effect of the Ni-NiO heterojunction and the TiO2 support. This low-cost catalyst may expedite the catalytic upgrading and practical application of biomass-derived chemicals.

Biofuel Production from Jatropha Bio-Oil Derived Fast Pyrolysis: Effect of Catalysts Supported

This research focus on catalytic hydrotreating of Jatropha Bio-oil derived fast pyrolysis into biofuel was investigated to determine the effects of the supported type (Al2O3 TiO2 and Al2O3-TiO2 mix-oxide) and of the variables temperature (300-340 °C). The synthesized catalysts were prepared by sol-gel method for support and wet-impregnation with solution promoter on support, and characterization by BET NH3-TPD XRD and NO-TPD for active site analysis of catalysts. The reaction was carried out in a Parr batch reactor under H2 atmosphere about 50 bar for 2 h. The catalytic activity was evaluated for % fatty acid conversion (%FFA), %HDO, %selective to paraffin/olefin products. The results showed that the CMA gave the %FFA is highest, but low selective products, then the CMT gave the % HDO high than CMA, while the mixed-oxide were proving the %HDO, %FFA conversion and % selective is increasing because the TiO2 incorporated with Al2O3 effect to increase the amount of rim site, it’s active site for HYD partway.