Hydrogen-free process to convert lipids into bio-jet fuel and green diesel over niobium phosphate catalyst in one-step

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2019-08, Vol.370, p.98-109
• Main Authors: Scaldaferri, Cristiane Almeida, Pasa, Vânya Márcia Duarte
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bio-jet fuel; Deoxygenation; Drop-in biofuels; Green diesel; Niobium phosphate catalyst; Upgrading reactions
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2019.03.063

[Display omitted] •Pd/C, NbOPO4, ZSM5, FCC, and Beta Zeolite were used as catalysts for deoxygenation.•NbOPO4 exhibited great performance in N2 atmosphere under mild reaction conditions.•Deoxygenation, cracking, isomerization and aromatization occurred over NbOPO4.•Linear and branched alkanes, cycloalkanes and aromatic compounds were synthesized.•Bio-jet fuel, green diesel and biogasoline were obtained in a one step process. Biomass conversion into liquid products of interest for the fuel formulations has been draw remarkable attention to reducing the environmental pollution in the world. Biofuels play an important key to mitigating climate changes from the development of sustainable processes. Drop-in biofuels are oxygen-free biofuels composed by liquid hydrocarbons obtained from renewable sources. In the present work, a screening with different catalysts was performed for soybean oil deoxygenation. The niobium phosphate catalyst (NbOPO4) showed a great performance in the production of drop-in fuels in different conditions of reaction. The hydrocarbon yields are in the range of 76–90% (wt%). The redox and acid properties of NbOPO4 led to the simultaneous formation of bio-hydrocarbons, such as linear (38%) and branched alkanes (14%), cycloalkanes (1%), olefins (1%) and aromatics (36%) compounds. NbOPO4 exhibits higher selectivity to bio-jet fuel (58%), followed by green diesel (37%) and biogasoline (21%). This sustainable route to produce bio-hydrocarbons brings a process using N2 gas instead of H2 gas. This is an innovative, sustainable, efficient, safe and low-cost technology with great potential for industry application.