Environment-friendly deoxygenation of non-edible Ceiba oil to liquid hydrocarbon biofuel: Process parameters and optimization study

• Main Authors: Nur Hafawati Abdullah, Nurul Asikin Asikin-Mijan, Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap, Hwai Chyuan Ong, Hwei Voon Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Research Square 2021
• Subjects: TP315-360 Fuel
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/31625/2/Environment-Friendly%20Deoxygenation%20of%20Non-Edible%20Ceiba%20oil%20to%20Liquid%20Hydrocarbon%20Biofuel%20Process%20Parameters%20and%20Optimization%20Study.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/31625/4/Environment-Friendly%20Deoxygenation%20of%20Non-Edible%20Ceiba%20oil%20to%20Liquid%20Hydrocarbon%20Biofuel_%20Process%20Parameters%20and%20Optimization%20Study_ABSTRACT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/31625/; https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-582604/v1; https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-582604/v1

Non-edible Ceiba oil has feasibility as a sustainable biofuel resource in tropical countries that act as alternative to a portion of the fossil fuels used today. Catalytic deoxygenation of the Ceiba oil (high O/C ratio) was conducted to produce hydrocarbon biofuel (high H/C ratio)over NiO-CaO5 /SiO2 -Al2O3catalyst with aims of high diesel selectivity and catalyst reusability. In the present study, Box-Behnken experimental design was used to evaluate and optimize liquid hydrocarbon yield by considering following reaction factors: catalyst loading (1-9 wt.%), reaction temperature (300 - 380°C) and reaction time (30 -180 min). It was discovered that the optimum yield for hydrocarbon fractionsn-(C8 – C20 ) was 77% under deoxygenation condition of 5 wt.% catalyst loading, reaction temperature of 340°C within 105 min. Besides, deoxygenationmodel indicated that interaction effects of catalyst loading-reaction time influence the deoxygenation activity greatly. Based on the product analysis, oxygenated species(e.g. CO2 and CO) were removed mainly via decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCOx) pathways. The NiOCaO5 /SiO2 -Al2O3 catalyst is stable for five consecutive runs with hydrocarbon fractions within range of 66-75% and n-(C15+C17 ) selectivity of 64-72% as well. The stability profile of NiO-CaO5 /SiO2 -Al2O3 catalyst indicated that the catalyst able to maintain deoxygenation reactivity throughout five cycles with hydrocarbon yield of 66-75% and n-(C15+C17) selectivity of 64–72 %. However, coke deposition was noticed for the spent catalyst after several times of usage, which due to the high reaction temperature above 300oC.