Renewable fuel production from hydropyrolysis of residual biomass using molybdenum carbide-based catalysts: An analytical Py-GC/MS investigation

• Published in: Catalysis today Vol. 302; pp. 161 - 168
• Main Authors: Machado, Marta A., He, Songbo, Davies, Thomas E., Seshan, K., Teixeira da Silva, Victor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15-03-2018
• Subjects: Hydrodeoxygenation; Hydropyrolysis; Molybdenum carbide; Py-GC/MS; Renewable fuels; Renewable fuels; Molybdenum carbide; Hydrodeoxygenation; Py-GC/MS; Hydropyrolysis
• ISSN: 0920-5861; 1873-4308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2017.06.024

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•Catalytic hydropyrolysis of biomass was studied using Mo2C-based catalysts.•Unlike bulk MoO3, bulk Mo2C catalyst produced only hydrocarbons.•The effect of support was evaluated using Mo2C supported on Al2O3, ZrO2 and MgO.•Mo2C/Al2O3 and Mo2C/ZrO2 catalysts led to fully deoxygenation forming hydrocarbons.•Mo2C/Al2O3 catalyst showed a performance comparable to that of a Pt catalyst.
Fast hydropyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass was studied by using an analytical pyrolyzer coupled with a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry set-up (Py-GC/MS). Under pure H2 stream, Canadian pinewood was rapidly heated up to 500°C and the generated vapors passed through a catalytic bed at 500°C. Experiments were carried out in order to compare the catalytic performance of MoC/Al2O3 catalyst to a reference catalyst based on noble metal (1.5wt.% Pt/Al2O3). The effect of different supports (Al2O3, ZrO2 and MgO) on the carbide performance and product formation was investigated. The results showed that the performance of MoC/Al2O3 was similar to that of 1.5wt.% Pt/Al2O3. Both of them deoxygenated the hydropyrolysis vapors and led exclusively to hydrocarbons formation. However, the proportion of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons was different: MoC/Al2O3 catalyst produced more aliphatics (57%) than the Pt catalyst. The supports have demonstrated influence on the product distribution. Acidity of the support seems to play an important role in the deoxygenation of the vapors. While there was complete removal of oxygen when MoC/Al2O3 and MoC/ZrO2 were used, the same did not take place for the more basic MoC/MgO catalyst.