Bio-oil contains numerous oxygenates. This high oxygen content results in bio-oil instability over time, high acidity and immiscibility with petroleum hydrocarbons and a low higher heating value of about 18 MJ/Kg. Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is one successful route to convert bio-oil to a hydrocarbon mixture containing gasoline, jet fuel and diesel components.  However, the HDO process is an energy intensive process involving the use of high hydrogen pressure which has, to date, made it an uneconomical route to hydrocarbon fuel production from bio-oil. One method to minimize the hydrogen cost associated with HDO is to replace the expensive hydrogen partially or completely with syngas. The use of syngas, in the presence of effective catalysts, facilitates the generation of hydrogen in situ as well as reduces the water content of the bio-oil by the water gas shift reaction (WGSR).Our research focused on the synthesis and application of various WGSR catalysts to upgrade bio-oil in the presence of syngas in a Parr batch reactor. The bio-oil was subjected to HDO performed with syngas. As has become standard in bio-oil HDO, a hydrotreatment at a mild temperature was first performed on the bio-oil to prevent polymerization that occurs when high temperatures are applied to bio-oil. A second higher-temperature hydrocracking was then performed on the hydrotreated product.The resulting liquid products were analyzed by GC/MS and Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis. The physicochemical properties of the liquid product (water content, acid value, viscosity, and elemental analysis) were determined by using standard ASTM methods. The gas products produced during the hydroprocessing steps with syngas were analyzed by Micro-GC. Catalyst characterization was performed by H2-TPR and TGA. This paper will report details of all analytical results for both fuel products and the catalysts applied; water gas shift results will be elucidated to indicate hydrogen saving by catalyzing bio-oil with syngas.

Bio-oil upgrading to hydrocarbons by the water gas shift reaction with syngas

247th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.