Fractional Distillation Research Articles

Inhibitory activities of essential oils from Syzygium aromaticum inhibition of Echinochloa crus-galli.

Echinochloa crus-galli is a serious weed species in rice paddies. To obtain a new potential bioherbicide, we evaluated the inhibitory activities of 13 essential oils and their active substances against E. crus-galli. Essential oil from Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry (SAEO) exhibited the highest herbicidal activity (EC50 = 3.87 mg mL-1) among the 13 essential oils evaluated. The SAEO was isolated at six different temperatures by vacuum fractional distillation, including 164°C, 165°C (SAEO-165), 169°C, 170°C 175°C and 180°C. The SAEO-165 had the highest inhibitory rate against E. crus-galli. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high phase liquid chromatography identified eugenol (EC50 = 4.07 mg mL-1), α-caryophyllene (EC50 = 17.34 mg mL-1) and β-caryophyllene (EC50 = 96.66 mg mL-1) as the three compounds in SAEO. Results from a safety bioassay showed that the tolerance of rice seedling (~ 20% inhibition) was higher than that of E. crus-galli (~ 70% inhibition) under SAEO stress. SAEO induced excessive generation of reactive oxygen species leading to oxidative stress and ultimately tissue damage in E. crus-galli. Our results indicate that SAEO has a potential for development into a new selective bio-herbicide. They also provide an example of a sustainable management strategy for E. crus-galli in rice paddies.

Measurement of Inhibition Zones, Solvent/Growth Dynamics of Adenanpthera pavonina. Linn. Against Selected Enteric Microorganisms

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibition zones, solvent, and growth dynamics of Seed extract of Adenanpthera Pavonina. Linn. Against selected Enteric Microorganisms. Adenanpthera Pavonina.Linn is a Red Sandalwood, (Fabaceae), an unarmed deciduous tree and its seed is traditionally used for treatment of various disease conditions. Five different solvents were used in this study: Ethyl acetate, water, absolute ethanol, fermented palm wine and distilled ethanol from palm wine). In this study, ethanol was distilled from palm wine using fractional distillation method. Palm wine solvent was fermented using barkers’ yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Isolates used in this study were obtained from Adekunle Ajasin University AkungbaAkoko Health Center (AAUHC) and were re-identified through series of biochemical test and gram staining characteristics. Isolates were identified as Enterobacter aerogenes, Burkhoderia cepacia, Acinetobacter baumanni, Pasteurella multocida, Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, Moraxella sp., Burkhoderia pseudomallei, Enterobacter agglomerama. Extensive and series of biochemical tests were carried out to further confirm all the test bacterial strains. Biochemical tests done includes Indole test, Catalase, Citrate, Methyl Red-Voges Proskaeur (MR-VP), Triple Sugar Iron (TSI), Urease, Motility Test, Oxidase Test, to identify and characterized the test isolates, antimicrobial activity of different solvent extracts of Adenanthera pavonina Linn. Seed was tested against enteric bacterial strains by observing the zone of inhibition using agar well diffusion method. The growth dynamic of the test isolate against plant seed extract of Adenanthera pavonina Linn., was done using Ultraviolentvisible spectrophotometer. Ethanolic phytochemical analysis was done qualitatively and quantitatively. In this study, Ethyl acetate and Distilled ethanol from palm wine seed extracts of Adenanthera pavonina Linn., showed the highest antimicrobial activity against all the tested bacteria isolates. Result obtained indicates that the ethanolic, ethyl acetate and distilled ethanol seed extract of Adenanthera pavonina Linn. has antibacterial activities and can be used as antibacterial agent. It was observed that at less than an hour, Pasteurella multocida has the highest growth rate of 0.150λ and Aeromonas hydrophila have the lowest growth rate of 0.102λ. At 24 hours, Pasteurella multocida has the lowest death rate of 0.100λ and Burkhoderia pseudomallei have the highest death rate of 0.068λ Adenanthera pavonina Linn., showed the presence of secondary metabolite and its killing/growth kinetics was very outstanding which was demonstrated during this research work, the plant has a limitless antimicrobial potential, and it can be used for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.

Hydrotreatment of diesel fuel involving distillate fractions

Hydrotreatment of diesel fuel involving distillate fractions

Green and Sustainable Pyrolysis: Conversion of Plastic Solid Waste into Liquid Fuel

Excessive use of fossil fuel like gasoline and increasing number of automobiles has led to extensive scientific research in the field of alternative fuel sources. Also due to the vast range of uses of plastics across many industries, Plastic Waste in landfills and global production of plastic increased over time. The conversion of Waste plastic into liquid and gaseous fuels and value-added chemicals by pyrolysis followed by fractional distillation is explained as a practical and sustainable solution for recycling plastics because the calorific value of plastic is almost identical to that of hydrocarbon fuel. This research work is focused on converting high density plastic into liquid fuel by pyrolysis at temperature 200-400℃. The obtained liquid fuel was subjected to distillation at different temperature ranges. The density and viscosity of distilled sample was measured and was found to be close to that of petrol.

Exploring the role of mixed micelles and promoters for alcohol oxidation: A green catalytic approach and insights into micellar chemistry

Oxidation of 1-butanol at 30 °C was carried out using chromic acid in an aqueous medium, employing pseudo 1st order reaction conditions. The resultant 1-butanal was isolated through fractional distillation. Surfactant micelles, acting as tiny templates or nano-reactors, play a vital role in generating nano-structured materials with desired attributes. These micelles have shown promise as effective catalysts, including mixed anionic-nonionic micelles like SDS-TX 100. In the pursuit of enhancing the rate of oxidation, micelle catalysts were tested in conjunction with various promoters. Astonishingly, these combinations displayed an impressive rate acceleration. To validate the products and interactions, comprehensive analyses were conducted using techniques such as IR, NMR, and UV. The formation of mixed micelles was also established through DLS analysis. Interestingly, among the catalytic paths, mixed micelles combined with 2, 2́-Bipyridine (Bpy) promoter exhibited the highest oxidation rate, overshadowing other combinations. Further insight was gained by observing the rate constants: kobs (SDS) > kobs (TX 100) and kobs (Phen) > kobs (Bpy) > kobs (PA) for promoted reactions in single micelle catalysis. For SDS micelles and mixed micelles, the order was kobs (Bpy) > kobs (Phen) > kobs (PA), whereas in TX 100 micelles, it was kobs (Phen) > kobs (Bpy) > kobs (PA).

The Natural Ficus carica L. (fig) Extract as an Effective Prophylactic Antibacterial Agent for Inflammation-Related Infections.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a multidrug-resistance Gram-negative organism responsible for carbapenem-resistant infections. These challenges have inspired studies on the use of natural products as alternatives to conventional drugs. The aim of this study was to analyze the antibacterial and antioxidant effects of Ficus carica L. (fig) branch extracts and to perform in vivo animal experiments to better understand the absorption mechanisms of the antibacterial components during the digestion process after oral administration. The antibacterial components of the fig branch extracts were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). An in vivo animal study and liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QQQ-MS/MS) analyses were performed to analyze the deacetylation reactions of the fig extracts after oral administration in mice. Ultimately, the antibacterial effects of the fig extracts increased with the fractional distillation time. The fig extracts showed excellent antibacterial effects against K. pneumoniae, as well as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The three antibacterial and antioxidant components of the fig extracts were revealed to be eugenol, acetyleugenol, and psoralen. Interestingly, in this study, we identified acetyleugenol in the phenolic compounds of the fig extract for the first time. Through in vivo animal testing, we observed the deacetylation reaction of acetyleugenol to eugenol in the fig extract as digestion proceeded in the internal organs of the mice after oral administration. The results of this study suggest the use of natural fig extract as an effective therapeutic and prophylactic antibacterial agent for inflammation-related infections with a wide variety of biomedical applications.

Charentaise distillation of cognac. Part II: Process simulation and impact of recycling practices on the aroma composition of freshly distilled spirit

A growing number of studies over the years has successfully employed computer simulation tools to understand, optimize and design spirit distillations. Amongst distilled spirits, cognac is a reputed wine spirit resulting from a double batch distillation process known as Charentaise distillation. This complex operation comprises the wine distillation (WD) and the brouillis distillation (BD), which are carried out in copper alembics. The distillate produced in each batch is fractionated and some of those fractions are recycled in subsequent batches. To improve the current understanding of the behavior of aroma compounds during the process, computer simulation modules were built in this work for a WD and a BD and the results were compared with experimental data. Of the 62 aroma compounds detected in the samples over time, 52 could be represented in the simulations, including 37 using the NRTL thermodynamic model to calculate vapor–liquid equilibria and another 15 with the UNIFAC model. Half of those had their concentration profiles and their partitioning accurately described by the simulation, most of which were modeled with NRTL. This highlights the need for reliable vapor–liquid equilibrium data for aroma compounds that were poorly represented or absent from the simulation as well as kinetic data for chemical reactions occurring during distillation. Furthermore, the impact of the recycling operation on the composition in aroma compounds of freshly distilled cognac was investigated. To represent a steady state, a mathematical model was employed to implement the recycling of distillate fractions during 8 successive Charentaise distillation cycles. The operation was shown to improve the extraction of ethanol and of all volatile compounds in the heart, reaching a pseudo steady state after 3 to 5 cycles. The recycling of the second fraction had a higher influence on the extraction of alcohols and terpenes, while for most esters and norisoprenoids the recycled head fractions played a bigger role.

Isolation, Purification and Characterization of L-Carvone from Mentha longifolia Using Fractional Distillation and Quantified by Gas Chromatography

Isolation, Purification and Characterization of L-Carvone from Mentha longifolia Using Fractional Distillation and Quantified by Gas Chromatography

Obtaining cumin (Cuminum Cymminum) essential oils by steam distillation. Part I: investigation of operation parameters on essential oil yield and distribution of oil composition

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe effect of pretreatment (grinding), packing material (raschig rings) and vacuum on the yield and the component distribution of the essential oil of cumin during steam distillation was investigated. Concurrently, kinetic studies were conducted to examine the essential oil yield.RESULTSAt the end of 120 min, the yield under normal conditions was 0.79, 1.26, 1.90 and 2.36 for nonground and 20‐, 40‐ and 80‐s ground cumin seeds, respectively. Equivalent figures in a vacuum were 0.64, 1.56 and 1.95 for nonground, 40‐ and 80‐s ground cumin seeds, respectively. When raschig rings were used, the yield value was 1.99 and 2.06 under normal and vacuum conditions, respectively, for cumin seeds ground for 80 s. Under normal conditions, the cumin aldehyde percentages of the nonground sample, and the 40‐ and 80‐s ground samples was 51.31, 33.59 and 32.54, respectively, and under vacuum, 70.00, 49.02 and 40.59, respectively. Six kinetic models were applied with sufficient R2 values. Drug release models were first applied to kinetic data successfully.ConclusionGrinding cumin seeds in a blender increased the essential oil yield up to three‐fold and Raschig rings as a packing material also contributed to this increase. The effect of complex mechanisms such as sample positioning and flow regime on the essential oil yield during the washing stage was observed. Although there was minimal difference (3.8%) in the yield values for the experiments with nonground cumin samples, the slight variation in essential oil yield observed in the experiments with each ground cumin sample may be attributed to the particle distribution, positioning and flow regime. So, five cases were determined depending on positioning. Cumin aldehyde has the highest composition in all time intervals after 10 min at the fractional distillation under vacuum. However sabinene was relatively higher only in the early time interval at 0‐10 min. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Impact of petroleum expulsion and evaporation losses on shale oil assessment using pyrolysis techniques

Shale reservoirs contain petroleum that undergoes losses through oil expulsion and evaporation, with uncertain implications on shale oil reserves and mobility evaluation. This study focuses on understanding the influence of these losses on open‐system pyrolysis, the primary method for assessing shale oil content and mobility. Comprehensive analyses were performed on 26 lacustrine shale samples from the Chang7 Member, encompassing total organic carbon (TOC), programmed pyrolysis, solvent extraction, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The research examines the impact of petroleum losses on petroleum fractions, the oil saturation index (OSI), and multi‐step pyrolysis outcomes. The findings indicate that Chang7 shale with TOC content above 7% experiences more substantial petroleum losses than those with TOC below 7%. Petroleum losses result in significant fractional distillation of crude oil in the shale, leading to the deterioration of shale oil properties and a notable reduction in free oil content in S1, ultimately causing a decline in OSI values. As a result, Chang7 shale with TOC below 7% demonstrates a higher potential for shale oil recovery, whereas Chang7 shale with TOC exceeding 7% should be considered more significant as a hydrocarbon source rock. Moreover, multi‐step pyrolysis is not suitable for assessing petroleum mobility in shale with low free oil content (OSI values below 100 mg/g). This limitation arises from the loss of free low‐boiling components in Chang7 shale, and the currently detected low‐boiling pyrolysis products may predominantly exist in an adsorbed state.

Isolation of citronellal and geraniol from citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) oil by vacuum fractional distillation: Effect of operating conditions on the separation

Abstract This study used fractional distillation to separate citronellal and geraniol from citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) essential oil to improve their market value. The one-factor-at-a-time methodology investigated operating parameters’ optimum conditions and effects, including system pressure, packing types, and column height. All investigations were evaluated based on their main fraction’s citronellal and geraniol content and recovery. Regarding the effect of the variables, a higher system pressure improved the separation while increasing the temperature range of each fraction and distillation time. The packing types would also improve the separation by providing a large surface area. Finally, the column height also positively impacted the separation. In the optimum citronella oil fractionation, citronellal content experienced a 2.5-fold increase, from 37.68% to 94.33%. Geraniol purity reached 40.61% from an initial content of 17.33% in the raw CW oil. The distillation could recover up to 90.00% of citronellal and 68.18% of geraniol.

Performance and emission characteristics analysis of a CI engine fueled with distilled pyrolytic waste plastic oil/ethanol/diesel blends.

The current energy challenges in agriculture, industry, and transportation are aggravated by insufficient liquid petroleum fuels, strained by rapid depletion, and higher demand in the international market. Existing environmental pollution due to higher fossil fuel consumption, certainly draws the attention of many researchers to identify a better alternative fuel concerning engine efficiency and exhaust emissions. Waste plastic oil (WPO) derived by thermo-catalytic pyrolysis is found to be a promising alternative fuel due to it's similar fuel properties to diesel. WPO contains long-chain hydrocarbons and high-molecular-weight aromatics which can be eliminated by fractional distillation, resulting in the production of distilled waste plastic oil (DPO). Ethanol is added in addition to DPO in the diesel fuel mixture in order to improve combustion for better performance and reduce emissions. The current study focused on the preparation of homogenous fuel mixtures (DPO/ethanol/diesel) to evaluate it's engine efficiency and exhaust emissions as compared to pure diesel and confirmed that it has the potential to be an alternate fuel for the CI engine. Test engine trials were performed to determine thepotential engine characteristics, for instance, thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumptions, and exhaust temperature, by using various fuel mixtures (80D10DPO10E, 70D15DPO15E, 60D20DPO20E, 50D25DPO25E) under different loading conditions of the test engine. Major pollutants including unburned hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides were measured by a standard emission analyzer. The BTE was increased by 3.7%, and the BSFC was 16.67% less for the 60D20DPO20E mixture so as to diesel at full load. CO emission was found to comparatively increase at higher concentrations and decrease at higher loads. Compared to diesel, the NOx and HC emission were shown to be lowered at low loads and increased at higher loads. The study concluded that the fuel mixture of 60D20DPO20E showed the best engine performance and reduced emissions as compared to diesel.

Storage stability of biocrude oil fractional distillates derived from the hydrothermal liquefaction of food waste

Biocrude oil produced via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising precursor for transportation fuels and biochemicals. Present studies have highlighted the inherent instability of the biocrude oil, which poses significant challenges for its subsequent storage, upgrading and transportation. On the other hand, biocrude oil distillates showed the potential to serve as a transportation fuel blendstock. To this end, this study aimed to investigate the influence of the distillation temperature (199–238 °C and 238–274 °C), storage atmosphere (air and nitrogen), temperature (25 °C and 55 °C), and time (0–16 weeks) on the physical, chemical, and boiling point distribution properties of the distillates. Results demonstrated that changes in the stored distillates due to different distillation temperature were drastically higher than that between different storage atmospheres and temperatures. Comparing with the raw distillate, the distribution of compounds with a molecular weight < 300 Da in low-temperature (199–238 °C) distillates (LD) and medium-temperature (238–274 °C) distillates (MD) was improved with the increasing storage time. In addition, storage led to a decrease in O:C ratio (21.6 % and 86.5 %), and an increase in the HHV (3.6 % and 12.3 %) in the LD and MD, respectively. Furthermore, only slight deviations were observed in the density (5.2 % and 7.4 %) and viscosity (5.2 % and 0.8 %) for LD and MD, respectively. In particular, the MD group exhibited comparable characteristics to transportation fuels with decreased acidity (1.8–2.8 mg KOH/g) and increased HHV (46.2–46.8 MJ/kg) after long-term storage. At last, the mechanism of superior distillates stability was discussed. This study indicated that distillation not only presents a potential approach for producing transportation fuel blendstock but also improves the stability of HTL biocrude oil.

Research on azeotropic breaking extraction technology for High-Value chemicals from wash oil

In response to the challenge of achieving high-purity separation within a mixture containing acenaphthene, dibenzofuran, fluorene, and biphenyl in coal tar wash oil fractions, the azeotropic behavior of this mixture was investigated through phase equilibrium experiments to elucidate the azeotropic system. Once the azeotropic system was identified, attention shifted to intermolecular forces, and simulation calculations utilizing the Lennard-Jones potential energy function were employed to reveal the mechanism underlying high-purity separation in the azeotropic system. Building upon this foundation, the feasibility of solvent crystallization was explored as a means to break the azeotrope and achieve high-purity separation. This involved a thorough analysis of the intermolecular interactions between the crystallization solvent and the mixture system. Ethanol, methanol, and pentanol were chosen as potential solvents for conducting solvent crystallization experiments.Results demonstrate that ethanol performs admirably within the solvent crystallization method, exhibiting a high degree of crystallization selectivity for acenaphthene. On the other hand, pentanol demonstrates advantages in the separation and crystallization for removing biphenyl. Using ethanol as the solvent for crystallization, the acenaphthene content can be refined to 99.17%, while the biphenyl content can be reduced to a mere 0.002%. These findings underscore the effectiveness of ethanol as a solvent in effectively addressing the azeotropic challenge arising from the coexistence of biphenyl and acenaphthene, ultimately achieving an efficient separation of the targeted substances. Considering both crystallization selectivity and yield, ethanol emerges as the most suitable crystallization solvent for this intricate multi-component system. This study presents a practical solution for the efficient separation of acenaphthene, dibenzofuran, fluorene, and biphenyl—all of which constitute azeotropic systems within the heavy distillate fraction of wash oil.

Low-temperature fractional distillation for facile enrichment of intact aromatic components from galbanum essential oil

Low-temperature fractional distillation for facile enrichment of intact aromatic components from galbanum essential oil

Impact of fractional distillation on physicochemical and biological properties of oregano essential oil of Lippia graveolens H.B.K. grown wild in Mexico

The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of fractional distillation on the physicochemical and biological properties of oregano essential oil obtained from Lippia graveolens H.B.K. Dry vacuum fractional distillation allowed the division of oregano essential oil into two distinct fractions. The first fraction was rich in ρ-cymene (45.32%) and γ-terpinene (19.14%), while the second fraction had enrichments on the phenolic thymol and carvacrol components (47.63% and 35.56%, respectively), reaching up to 83% of the total chemical composition. In addition, it was shown that fractionation influenced the biological properties of the essential oil. The fraction enriched on thymol and carvacrol showed a higher antioxidant activity than the complete oregano essential oil and the terpenic fraction, as measured by the DPPH method. Moreover, the phenolic fraction produced a concentration-dependent viability decrease on HeLa, Hep2 and A-549 cancer cell lines. The cytotoxic activity of the phenolic fraction was higher compared to that of complete oregano essential oil as well as that of the terpenic fraction. It can be concluded that dry vacuum fractional distillation is an effective separation method that could be used to rectify and improve the quality of oregano essential oils, making them more attractive in the market. As another benefit, the fractions generated could be used for different purposes. In practice, the terpenic fraction, for example, could be used in flavouring and fragrance industries. Regarding the phenolic fraction, new and deeper studies are needed to establish its potential use in food safety and pharmaceutical industries.

Unified multi-parameter predictive modeling of crude oil and its distilled fractions through Artificial Neural Networks

This article proposes an alternative approach for assessing four quality parameters of petroleum and its main products, namely API gravity, total sulfur, nitrogen content, and basic nitrogen content. Such primary measures are determined experimentally using four ASTM protocols. The proposed method is based on the use of a chemical ionization Fourier transform Orbitrap® mass spectrometer (CI-HRMS) and a multivariate model that allows for the simultaneous assessment of a broad range of parameters, regardless of the volatility of the complex sample (crude oil, diesel, gas oil, naphtha, and kerosene). The composition assignment is performed stepwise based on the analysis of the monoisotopic masses and isotope patterns to generate chemically meaningful identifications. The predominant chemical composition consisted of classes of compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. The analysis time was about 6 min, due to a fast automated analysis that uses fingerprinting information to predict the features of crude oil and its derivatives. The developed Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models are independent of the volatility of the sample and can be applied to both raw petroleum and its products. The ANN models afford acceptable predictions. The values of the global coefficient of determination (R2) ranged from 0.86 to 0.97, which were calculated between predicted and reference values – obtained from ASTM methods. The four quality parameters are estimated by convenient CI-HRMS method and such measurements are demonstrated to be a viable alternative to the classic ASTM methods otherwise only available by laborious and low sample throughput experimental techniques.

Cumin and eucalyptus essential oil standardization using fractional distillation: Data-driven optimization and techno-economic analysis

Cumin and eucalyptus essential oils (EOs) are among the most important and widely used EOs with a broad range of applications in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food industries. The seeds and leaves of cumin (Cuminum cyminum) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) plants are processed with extraction techniques to retrieve their EOs, yet certain product specifications need to be met to achieve a high-quality product. Based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the essential oils of cumin and eucalyptus should contain certain amounts of cuminaldehyde and 1,8-cineole to be of acceptable quality. In this study, we design and optimize a dynamic fractional distillation process that enriches cumin and eucalyptus EOs to the ISO standards, with concentrations of 42% cuminaldehyde and 80% of 1,8-cineole achieved for each EO respectively. The dynamic model of this process is simulated via Aspen Plus using data from a pilot-scale fractional distillation unit, and the operating conditions that minimize the operational cost in the simulated environment are identified using the NOMAD algorithm. The optimization results show that the operating cost of standardization processes for cumin and eucalyptus EOs are $0.688/batch and $0.6973/batch, with process efficiencies of 69.56% and 59.77%, respectively. Furthermore, the techno-economic analysis for these two standardization processes showed that the total annualized cost was approximately $510,600 for both processes.

Boiling point modeling for petroleum speciation data

An empirical model is presented for generating the boiling curve of a petroleum sample based on parameters that are experimentally available using typical speciation techniques. The approach estimates the boiling point distribution of the detected components and allows a comparison with the simulated distillation profile of the sample. The model is shown to predict the boiling behavior of the speciation-derived average components in crude oil distillation fractions, which match the measured average distillation temperature of the fractions. The model is then applied to generate boiling distributions, based on mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic speciation data, which match the measured simulated-distillation curves with less than 20 °C difference. The model is also applied to the isolated fraction of saturated compounds, where the modeled boiling profile matches well with the measured distillation profile of the entire sample. This confirms that the model, although built using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry data of aromatic compounds, extends to data obtained using comprehensive 2-dimensional gas chromatography, and also describes the boiling behavior of saturated compounds speciated by field desorption time of flight mass spectrometry. Consequently, the modeled boiling distribution enables an assessment of how well a speciation measurement describes the sample, and provides an estimation of lower and higher-boiling portions that have been omitted in the data set.

Catalytic Cracking of Palm Oil: Effect of Catalyst Reuse and Reaction Time of the Quality of Biofuels-like Fractions

This work systematically investigated the influence of catalyst reuse and reaction time on the yield and quality of organic liquid products (OLP) obtained in a cracking pilot plant at 450 °C and 1.0 atm. The distillation of OLP produced 04 (four) distilled fractions (gasoline, kerosene, and green diesel). The biofuels-like fractions are liquid mixtures with high content of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics) with potential application as substitutes for fossil fuels in internal combustion motors. The quality of the biofuels was certified by physical-chemical analysis and FT-IR and GC-MS analysis. The experimental results showed the feasibility of applying the spent sodium carbonate twice in the catalytic cracking of vegetable oils. The physical-chemical properties (density, viscosity, acid value, saponification value, and flash point) of OLP decrease as the reaction time increases. The distillation of OLP yields 62.35% (wt.), producing green-like gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fractions rich in hydrocarbons. Therefore, biofuel-like fractions produced by distillation of OLP have a great potential for replacing partially petroleum-derived fuels.