Direct hydrogenation and hydrotreating of neat vegetal oil into renewable diesel using alumina binder with zeolite

Abstract

Hydrodeoxygenation of vegetal oil and methyl oleate studied using Pt and Pd supported with alumina-beta-zeolite (γ-Al2O3-H-β) and comparing its performance with NiMo/γ-Al2O3 and Pd/C in a semi-batch reactor, at 300 - 340 oC and 2.0 MPa. This study has used Pd and Pt on H-β zeolites with alumina binder as extrudate and it examines over triglycerides hydrogenolysis. Pd/C showed higher rate of deoxygenation and the selectivity of C18/C17 was higher for NiMo-S/γ-Al2O3 and PdPt/γ-Al2O3-H-β. PdPt/γ-Al2O3-H-β enhanced the hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis, while conversion and yield in deoxygenation and decomposition has reached identicical performance as NiMo-S/γ-Al2O3 catalytic deoxygenation process. Both the thermal decomposition and the hydrogenation of unsaturated triglycerides were mainly affected by H2 partial pressure. Transition metals like Pd and Pt on H-β and alumina binder ratio of 40:60 wt% showed effective hydrodeoxygenation of vegetal oil without substituting sulfur feed.