High-throughput continuous hydrodeoxygenation of liquid phase pyrolysis oil

Abstract

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of liquid phase pyrolysis oil with high water content was performed continuously in a plug flow reactor on a sulfided CoMo/Al₂O₃ catalyst under a hydrogen pressure of 120 bar at 400 °C. The intention of this project was to achieve fuels of diesel, kerosene and gasoline quality from liquid phase pyrolysis oil (LPP oil). The liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) was altered between 0.5 h⁻¹ and 3 h⁻¹. The LHSV was higher than those reported for state-of-the-art HDO processes. The LPP oil was derived from the bioCRACK pilot plant in the OMV refinery in Vienna/Schwechat, which was operated by BDI – BioEnergy International GmbH. After HDO, separation of the upgraded hydrocarbon fraction from the aqueous carrier was achieved. About 50% of the biogenous carbon was transferred into the liquid hydrocarbon product phase, and the residual amount was transferred into the gas phase. Comparably slow catalyst aging by coke formation was attributed to the high water content of LPP oil. During HDO, a fuel of almost gasoline and diesel quality was produced. The H/C ratio was between 1.7 and 2 with a residual oxygen content of 0.0 wt% to 1.2 wt%. The boiling range of the hydrocarbon product phase was between those of gasoline and diesel. In GC-MS analysis, mainly saturated alkanes were found.