Upgrading of biomass-derived bio-oil via catalytic hydrogenation with Rh and Pd catalysts

Yifeng He, Ronghou Liu, Dominic Yellezuome, Wanxi Peng and Meisam Tabatabaei

Renewable Energy, 2022, vol. 184, issue C, 487-497

Abstract: The high oxygen content of biomass-derived bio-oil, a multi-component organic, has limited its application as liquid fuels. Oxygen removal from crude bio-oil by catalytic hydrogenation is an upgrading approach with huge potential to produce second-generation biofuels. In light of that, the present work mainly focuses on upgrading biomass-derived bio-oil via catalytic hydrogenation. Accordingly, a batch hydrogenation reactor with a catalyst basket of adjustable volume was specifically designed. Moreover, a supported Rh/ZrO2 catalyst was prepared and was studied for bio-oil upgrading, along with similar commercial catalysts. The developed Rh/ZrO2 catalyst could hydrogenate guaiacol completely, resulting in non-oxygenated hydrocarbons. The re-utilization of Rh/ZrO2 for five times led to the catalyst deactivation, with the conversion rate (Cgua) declining to as low as 50.3 mol%. The regeneration of deactivated Rh/ZrO2 was realized through carbon deposition removal and showed a restored Cgua to 92.4 mol%. The oxygen content of heavy-oil products obtained under Rh/ZrO2, Rh/Al2O3, and Pd/Al2O3 decreased to 28.2 wt%, 29.1 wt%, and 30.2 wt%, respectively. The catalytic groups achieved certain deoxygenation extents, with Rh/ZrO2 being ranked as the highest (58.49%). Finally, given the costly nature of noble-metal catalysts, the metal loading of Rh/ZrO2 was ten times lower, offering obvious economic advantages over its commercial counterparts.

Keywords: Biomass; Bio-oil upgrading; Hydrogenation; Biofuel; Noble-metal catalyst (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:184:y:2022:i:c:p:487-497

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2021.11.114

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