Stability of Li-LSX Zeolite in the Catalytic Pyrolysis of Non-Treated and Acid Pre-Treated Isochrysis sp. Microalgae

Nur Adilah Abd Rahman, Javier Fermoso and Aimaro Sanna
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Nur Adilah Abd Rahman: Advanced Biofuels Lab, Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering (IMPEE), Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Javier Fermoso: Thermochemical Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Avda. Ramón de la Sagra 3, 28935 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
Aimaro Sanna: Advanced Biofuels Lab, Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering (IMPEE), Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: This paper investigates the use of Li-LSX-zeolite catalyst over three regeneration cycles in presence of non-treated and acid pre-treated Isochrysis sp. microalgae. The spent and regenerated catalysts were characterised by surface analysis, elemental analysis (EA), SEM-EDS, and XRD to correlate their properties with the bio-oil yield and quality. The acid pre-treatment removed alkali metals, reducing gas yield in favour of bio-oil, but, at the same time, led to catalyst deactivation by fouling. Differently, the non-treated microalgae resulted in a bio-oil enriched in C and H and depleted in O, compared to the pre-treated ones, denoting higher deoxygenation activity. After 3 pyrolysis/regeneration cycles, the analyses suggest that there are no major changes on catalyst using non-treated microalgae. Regeneration at 700 °C has been shown to be able to remove most of the coke without damaging the Li-LSX zeolite structure. In summary, Li-LSX zeolite was effective in maintaining deoxygenation activity over three cycles in the pyrolysis of non-treated Isochrysis microalgae, while the algae pre-treatment with sulphuric acid was detrimental on the catalyst activity.

Keywords: microalgae pyrolysis; Li-LSX-zeolite; ex-situ pyrolysis; deoxygenation; bio-fuels; heterogeneous catalysis; bio-oil upgrading (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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