FUEL, vol.350, pp.128870-128875, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Bio-fuel production from bio-oil was investigated in the presence of microporous HZSM-5 and Al2O3
(MA) based catalysts. This study focused on the catalytic upgrading of a
model bio-oil compound with ethanol for bio-fuel production. The model
compound containing hydroxypropanol/furfural/formic acid: 4/6.5/5 by
volume was used as a bio-oil mixture. Activity tests were performed
under atmospheric pressure with a volumetric feed ratio of 30/70 bio-oil
mixture/ethanol using a 0.5 g catalyst. In the reaction studies
performed on the commercial microporous HZSM-5 catalyst, the optimum
co-cracking temperature was determined as 400 °C. Mesoporous γ-Al2O3
support was synthesized by the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA)
synthesis method, and Ni, Ta, and Zr metals were incorporated into the
structure of the catalyst by the impregnation method to improve the
surface acidity. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by X-ray
diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES), N2
adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive
spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transformed
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pyridine adsorbed diffuse reflectance FTIR
spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and thermogravimetric/differential thermal
analysis (TGA-DTA). Monometallic and pure alumina catalysts indicated an
ordered mesoporous structure with surface area values 106–389 m2/g.
Lewis and Brønsted acid sites associated with mild acidity were
observed in the DRIFTS results of the 10 wt% Zr-containing alumina
catalyst (10Zr@MA). The highest oil phase selectivity and isoparaffin
selectivity in oil phase values were obtained in the presence of 10Zr@MA
as 17.22% and 80.96%, respectively. 10Zr@MA catalyst showed the best
catalytic activity compared to other catalysts, with 9.54% coke
formation.