Biofuels production from hydrotreating of vegetable oil using supported noble metals, and transition metal carbide and nitride

BIOFUELS PRODUCTION FROM HYDROTREATING OF VEGETABLE OIL USINGSUPPORTED NOBLE METALS, AND TRANSITION METAL CARBIDE AND NITRIDEbyHUALI WANGMay 2012Advisors: Dr. K. Y. Simon Ng and Dr. Steven O. SalleyMajor: Chemical EngineeringDegree: Doctor of PhilosophyThe focus of this research is to prepare non-sulfided hydrotreating catalysts, supportednoble metal and transition metal carbide/ nitride, and evaluate their hydrocracking activities andselectivities by using soybean oil as the feedstock. For comparison study, catalytic cracking ofsoybean oil over a commercialized ZSM-5 was investigated. However, steady state could not bereached because significant amounts of tar and coke were generated during the reaction though ahigh yield (21%) of jet fuel was obtained from the process. Compared to the catalytic crackingprocess, less tar and coke were formed during the hydrocracking process and stable continuous flowreaction was obtained by using the bifunctional Ru/ZSM-5 catalyst. 16% yield of jet fuel, which iscomparable to yields over commercialized sulfided NiMo catalysts while at a much lower pressureof 650 psi was produced. A 20 29% diesel yield was also obtained during the process. But cokewas the issue with this noble metal catalyst.In the following stage, novel bi-functional catalysts, NiMo carbide or nitride supported onZSM-5, zeolite β, USY, γ-alumina oxide, and Al-SBA-15 were prepared by the temperature-programmed reaction method and the effects of process parameters on catalytic hydrocracking ofsoybean oil were investigated. 100% conversion of soybean oil was attained under the 650 psi and