Catalytic Production of High-Octane Synthetic Fuel from Bioethanol and Gaseous Sources of Carbon Feedstock
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigated the catalytic conversion of bioethanol and methanol into synthetic liquid hydrocarbons with properties comparable to or surpassing conventional petroleum-based fuels. Using zeolite catalysts modified with nickel and molybdenum, bioethanol was processed in a continuous flow reactor under temperatures ranging from 340 to 400 °C and pressure up to 25 bar. The experiments demonstrated that at 360 °C and 15 bar, the liquid hydrocarbon yield reached 63% by mass, with an octane number of 97 and an aromatic content of 42%. Increasing the reaction temperature to 400 °C raised the aromatic fraction to 48% but reduced the yield to 57%. The additional processing of dimethyl ether derived from methanol, along with the subsequent hydrogenation of aromatic compounds, enabled the reduction of benzene content to as low as 1.2%, meeting Euro-5 standards. The produced fuels exhibited lower heating values between 42.0 and 43.7 MJ/kg and showed low corrosion activity on carbon steel and aluminium alloys. The findings confirm the feasibility of bioethanol-based processes to produce high-performance, low-toxicity fuels suitable for sustainable energy systems.
Language: English
Subfield: Catalysis
Field: Chemical Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7119679841
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