One primary factor that controls process cost for conversion of biomass feedstock to drop-in biofuels is catalyst cost associated with bio-oil upgrading to biofuels, which represent a major performance and cost sensitivity of the pyrolysis platform. The current state of technology for fast pyrolysis route includes a bio-oil stabilization step, which uses catalysts incorporating precious metals such as ruthenium to conduct hydrogenation of bio-oil at low temperatures. However, precious metal catalysts are orders of magnitude more expensive than conventional hydrotreating catalysts and very sensitive to sulfur contamination which limits there lifetime significantly. Therefore, this is still significant challenge of realizing an economic process and demonstrating in routine long-term operation of conventional bio-oil upgrading. Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) provides the promise of production of an improved bio-oil, which can be more readily hydroprocessed to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In situ catalytic fast pyrolysis (in situ CFP) using a circulating fluidized-bed reactor has the potential for a straightforward, cost effective application of the technology. This presentation will report our recent research on in situ CFP and produced bio-oil hydrotreating. CFP bio-oils produced by using a low cost red mud catalyst and different reaction conditions from different biomass feedstocks were directly hydrotreated without stabilization step. The impact of CFP parameters and feedstocks on hydrotreating was will be elucidated. The overall biomass to fuel yield and cost information based on technoeconomic analysis will be reported. It showed that in situ CFP with appropriate catalyst, such as red mud, has great potential for an efficient and economic viable route to convert biomass to fuels.

Hydrotreating of in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis bio-oil

254th National Meeting (2017)

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