Jatropha-oil conversion to liquid hydrocarbon fuels using mesoporous titanosilicate supported sulfide catalysts

• Published in: Catalysis today Vol. 198; no. 1; pp. 314 - 320
• Main Authors: Sharma, R.K., Anand, M., Rana, B.S., Kumar, R., Farooqui, S.A., Sibi, M.G., Sinha, A.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30-12-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: acidity; aluminum oxide; Biofuels; Catalysis; catalysts; catalytic activity; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; hydrocarbons; Hydrotreating; isomerization; kerosene; Kinetic pathways; Mesoporous Titanosilicate; oils; Porous materials; response surface methodology; temperature; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; triacylglycerols; Hydrotreating; Biofuels; Mesoporous Titanosilicate; Kinetic pathways; Metal support interaction; Binary compound; Biofuel; Selectivity; Porous material; Supported catalyst; Sulfides; Deoxygenation; Catalytic reaction; Hydrocarbon; Kerosene; Acidity; Triglyceride; Conversion; Velocity; Dispersion; Mesoporosity; Heterogeneous catalysis; Liquid; Kinetic model; Oil; Fuel; Jet; Kinetics; Alumina
• ISSN: 0920-5861; 1873-4308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2012.05.036

Increased conversion at lower temperatures and high space velocity for jatropha oil over Titanosilicates with 3D-wormhole-like mesoporosity, for higher yield of desired range C15–C18 hydrocarbons. [Display omitted]
► Sulfided Ni-Mo and Co-Mo on mesoporous titanosilicates for triglyceride deoxygenation. ► Higher yield of hydrocarbons and improved isomerization than γ-alumina support. ► Kinetic pathways indicating direct formation of products with no internal conversions.
Titanosilicates with 3D-wormhole-like mesoporosity were used as support for hydroprocessing catalysts to increase the triglyceride (jatropha oil) deoxygenation and cracking activity of sulfided Ni-Mo and Co-Mo catalysts. Mesoporous titanosilicate supported Co-Mo catalyst showed improved performance in terms of higher yield of kerosene (jet-fuel) range hydrocarbons, 5-times more isomerized product and slightly improved activity than the traditional alumina supported catalyst. Higher acidity, better metal dispersion and favorable metal–support interactions could be attributed to the improved performance of the former. Among the mesoporous titanosilicate supported catalysts, sulfided Ni-Mo was more active than the Co-Mo catalyst (at lower temperature, 300°C, 4–8h−1) but with high selectivity for oligomeric products. But at higher temperatures the Co-Mo catalytic system showed comparable activities with increased yield of cracked products and the heavy range fraction. Response surface plots indicated that there was a combined effect of space velocity and temperature on the conversion at lower temperatures (300°C), which was less prominent at higher temperatures (>330°C). Kinetic model fitting results at lower temperatures (300–320°C) indicated direct conversion of triglycerides to deoxygenated products along with oligomeric and cracked products formation with no internal conversions between the products indicated.