Two stages upgrading of bio-oil through esterification and hydrodeoxygenation reactions using Fe2O3-CoO supported catalyst

Abstract

Bio-oil contains many oxygenated compounds, as well as high acid and water content, which can reduce the stability of its components and have poor overall physicochemical properties. In this study, the quality of bio-oil produced from the pyrolysis of oil palm fronds was enhanced through a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction that was preceded by esterification as a pre-treatment. The catalyst used in the HDO reaction is mixed metal oxide (Fe 2 O 3 -CoO) anchored within zeolite mordenite (Fe 2 O 3 -CoO/Mor). The catalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, and BET methods. The presence of metal oxides on the surface of mordenite increases the activity of the catalyst in producing liquid products while reducing the formation of coke. Upgrading of bio-oil has improved the physicochemical properties of bio-oil compared to the one-stage upgrading process. The analysis of product showed that the C and H content increased from 11.5 to 23.5 wt% and from 9.76 to 11.2 wt%, respectively. On the other hand, the O content decreased from 78.7 to 65.2 wt% with a degree of deoxygenation of 59.8%. Moreover, higher heating value (HHV) of the bio-oil increased by 38% from 11.6 to 16.0 MJ/kg.

A General Strategy for Efficient Upgrading of Biomass-Derived Rice Husk Vinegar with ZrO2 Supported HSiW Catalyst: Extractive Coupling Esterification

“…Among various methods, catalytic esterification, a low-cost and green conversion method, is a reversible reaction between alcohols and carboxylic or oxygen acids that produces esters and water . It is a commonly used method for producing ester chemicals in the chemical industry and for fuel production in the energy sector. , Strategically leveraging the catalytic esterification of wood vinegar, rich in organic component acids, could potentially yield high-value-added chemical products. At present, the refining of wood vinegar is concentrated on a physical method, and the idea of esterification transformation has not been proposed.…”