Hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil and model compounds for production of chemical materials at atmospheric pressure over nickel-based zeolite catalysts

ABSTRACT

Nickel-based zeolite (HY, HBeta, MCM-41-γ-Al₂O₃ and MCM-41-HBeta) catalysts were prepared by impregnating using Fe and Ga. The prepared nickel-based zeolite catalysts were characterized by N₂ sorption studies, X-ray diffraction, NH₃-temperature programmed desorption and scanning electron microscope. The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) performance of the prepared catalysts were evaluated using guaiacol (GUA) as a bio-oil model compound in a fixed bed. Results showed that GaNi/MCM-41-HBeta had a high selectivity for the target products of benzene and its derivatives. Moreover, the HDO pathways of GUA were analyzed, which provided a reference for the bio-oil HDO. HDO experiments of bio-oil showed that the hydrocarbon content and yield of GaNi/MCM-41-HBeta reached a maximum value of 93.31% (light oil), 35.39% (light oil), 92.11% (heavy oil) and 46.90% (heavy oil), respectively. The contents of benzene and its derivatives in the upgraded oils were 28.16% (light oil) and 30.03% (heavy oil), respectively.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Bio-oil
• hydrodeoxygenation
• Gani/MCM-41-HBeta
• guaiacol
• benzene and its derivatives

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China (Nos. 51536009), Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province and Ph.D. Program of Shandong University of Technology (4041-418033).