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Catalytic Upgrading of Pyrolytic Oil via In-situ Hydrodeoxygenation

  • Isah Yakub MohammedEmail author
  • Yousif Abdalla Abakr
  • Robert Mokaya
Original Paper
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Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass derived from non-food crops cultivated on lands that are increasingly marginal for more favoured major crops is a potential source of sustainable renewable energy. This study explores the transformation of crude organic phase pyrolytic oil derived from Napier grass biomass into high-grade biofuel precursors via hydrodeoxygenation reaction over platinum and palladium catalysts with in-situ hydrogen generation from methanol. The reaction was conducted in a high-pressure stainless steel batch reactor at 350 °C, 20 wt% methanol ratio, 2 wt% catalyst loading and 60 min reaction time. The result of physicochemical analysis showed that the higher heating value of the organic liquid products collected over the catalysts increased by 35–40% relative to the raw sample. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results revealed significant reductions in the oxygenated compounds such as methoxyaromatics, methoxyphenols, acids, aldehydes. The degree of deoxygenation and overall extent of upgrading observed was 50–54% and 56–60%, respectively. The gas products collected were mainly carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane. Hydrodeoxygenation, hydrogenolysis, hydrogenation, dehydration, demethylation, hydrocracking, decarbonylation and decarboxylation were the main upgrading reactions, and a multiple reaction network was proposed.

Keywords

Napier grass Pyrolytic oil Deoxygenation Reaction pathways Pd/C Pt/C 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Energy for Life /EPSRC Global Challenges Research Fund (Project No: RIS 355037(UK) and IAE M0001 (UNMC) 2017/18). Authors also acknowledge the support from Crops for the Future (CFF), EcoKnights Malaysia and the University of Nottingham.

Supplementary material

12649_2019_613_MOESM1_ESM.docx (307 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 307 KB)

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Copyright information

© Springer Nature B.V. 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  • Isah Yakub Mohammed
    • 1
    • 3
    Email author
  • Yousif Abdalla Abakr
    • 1
  • Robert Mokaya
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Material EngineeringThe University of Nottingham Malaysia CampusSemenyihMalaysia
  2. 2.School of ChemistryUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
  3. 3.Department of Chemical EngineeringAbubakar Tafawa Balewa UniversityBauchiNigeria

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