Laboratory Production of Biofuels and Biochemicals from a Rapeseed Oil through Catalytic Cracking Conversion

Abstract

The work is based on a reported study which investigates the processability of canola oil (bio-feed) in the presence of bitumen-derived heavy gas oil (HGO) for production of transportation fuels through a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) route. Cracking experiments are performed with a fully automated reaction unit at a fixed weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 8 hr(-1), 490-530 °C, and catalyst/oil ratios of 4-12 g/g. When a feed is in contact with catalyst in the fluid-bed reactor, cracking takes place generating gaseous, liquid, and solid products. The vapor produced is condensed and collected in a liquid receiver at -15 °C. The non-condensable effluent is first directed to a vessel and is sent, after homogenization, to an on-line gas chromatograph (GC) for refinery gas analysis. The coke deposited on the catalyst is determined in situ by burning the spent catalyst in air at high temperatures. Levels of CO2 are measured quantitatively via an infrared (IR) cell, and are converted to coke yield. Liquid samples in the receivers are analyzed by GC for simulated distillation to determine the amounts in different boiling ranges, i.e., IBP-221 °C (gasoline), 221-343 °C (light cycle oil), and 343 °C+ (heavy cycle oil). Cracking of a feed containing canola oil generates water, which appears at the bottom of a liquid receiver and on its inner wall. Recovery of water on the wall is achieved through washing with methanol followed by Karl Fischer titration for water content. Basic results reported include conversion (the portion of the feed converted to gas and liquid product with a boiling point below 221 °C, coke, and water, if present) and yields of dry gas (H2-C2's, CO, and CO2), liquefied petroleum gas (C3-C4), gasoline, light cycle oil, heavy cycle oil, coke, and water, if present.

Virgin Heavy Gas Oil from Oil Sands Bitumen as FCC Feed

“…A reaction unit called the "Advanced Cracking Evaluation" (ACE) unit, supplied by Kayser Technologies (Houston, TX, USA), was used in this work. A detailed description of this unit and its operation have been reported previously [14,[17][18][19].…”

Preliminary Assessment of a Strategy for Processing Oil Sands Bitumen to Reduce Carbon Footprint

“…An equilibrium catalyst obtained from Albermarle Catalysts International was used to crack the HGOs at 500 and 520 °C and at catalyst/oil ratios of 4, 6, 8, 10, and 11.25 (twice) using a bench-scale advanced cracking evaluation (ACE) unit. − …”

Review on catalysis related research at CanmetENERGY

“…A detailed review of processing pure biomass and co‐processing biomass with petroleum using FCC has been conducted . Fluid catalytic cracking MAT studies on co‐processing bitumen‐derived VGOs with canola oil and with biomass‐derived pyrolysis oil known as renewable fuel oil (RFO) have been conducted at CanmetENERGY. Catalytic cracking of VGO‐canola oil blends resulted in the formation of water and carbon monoxide/dioxide at the expense of gasoline production.…”

“…At a given conversion, yields of dry gas, diesel, coke, and water increased, whereas the yields of LPG, gasoline, and heavy fuel oil decreased as the canola oil content increased in the blends. Most of the oxygen in canola oil was converted into H 2 O, with the rest into CO, CO 2 , and oxygenates in the TLP . Catalytic cracking of 0.05 g/g (5 wt %) RFO in VGO resulted in higher conversion and the formation of water and carbon dioxide, plus the possible retention or conversion of some oxygenates in the TLP, at the expense of gasoline and LPG .…”