Effect of Cu promotion on cracking and methanation during the Ni-catalyzed deoxygenation of waste lipids and hemp seed oil to fuel-like hydrocarbons

Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, Ryan Loe, Makaylah Garrett, Tonya Morgan, Mark Crocker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Deoxygenation of yellow grease and hemp seed oil was studied over 20% Ni/Al2O3 and 20% Ni-5% Cu/Al2O3 catalysts in the presence of H2. In the deoxygenation of 25 wt% yellow grease (dissolved in dodecane) both catalysts afforded a liquid product consisting of mainly linear C10–C17 alkanes; however, the Cu-promoted catalyst showed improved selectivity to long chain (C15–C17) hydrocarbons as a result of its lower cracking activity. Analysis of the light hydrocarbon products (C10–C16) showed that cracking mainly occurred via the removal of terminal carbons (with methane formation), although a small amount of internal cracking also occurs based on the presence of C6–C11 in the product mixtures. Similar improvements were also observed in the deoxygenation of 25 wt% hemp seed oil, showing that Cu was able to curb cracking even when a highly unsaturated feed was employed. The Cu promotion effect was more pronounced in the deoxygenation of 75 wt% yellow grease in which the 20% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst did not yield any liquid products, whereas the 20% Ni-5% Cu/Al2O3 catalyst afforded liquid products consisting of >90% diesel-like hydrocarbons.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)261-271
Number of pages11
JournalCatalysis Today
Volume302
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 15 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. 1437604 , 1531637 , 1305039 and 1355438 . This work was also supported in part by a Seed Grant of the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research . Sarah Cummins and the Green Team of the Sayre School in Lexington, Kentucky are thanked for collecting and delivering the yellow grease used in this study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

  • Copper
  • Cracking
  • Decarboxylation
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Methanation
  • Nickel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Chemistry (all)

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