Work

Continuous Deoxygenation of Palmitic Acid, Methyl Palmitate, and Licuri Biodiesel over Granular Pd/C Catalysts in a Trickle-Bed Reactor

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Biofuels offer potential to mitigate climate change, increase energy security, and economically support farmers around world. Licuri (Syagrus coronata) could be an important biofuel feedstock because its kernel (edible seed) has high energy content. This research investigates optimal reaction conditions to convert fatty acids (FA) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) (including licuri biodiesel) to hydrocarbons via deoxygenation in a trickle-bed reactor over granular Pd/C catalysts. Our results indicate that a 20 wt.% palmitic acid (PA) feed is optimum for continuous deoxygenation at 300 °C and 15 bar in 5% H2/He because of decarboxylation inhibition at higher concentrations. Deoxygenation rates are higher for PA than for methyl palmitate (MP) because of the slow initial hydrogenolysis of the methoxy bond over Pd/C. The hydrocarbon product distributions from deoxygenation of licuri biodiesel were fully consistent with FA decarboxylation and decarbonylation. A lab-prepared 5 wt.% Pd/C catalyst with higher metal dispersion provided modestly higher hydrocarbon yields from licuri biodiesel than a commercial 1 wt.% Pd/C catalyst.

Source: Reactions

DOI: 10.3390/reactions6040073

Authors: Pedro H. M. de Araujo, Connor Thompson, Taylor C. Schulz, H. Henry Lamb

Institutions: North Carolina State University, Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Language: English

Topic: Catalysis and Hydrodesulfurization Studies

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207