Development of Hydrotreating Catalysts for Selective Conversion of Inedible Vegetable Oil to Hydrocarbon with Linear Carbon Chain

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14475
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Catalyst/Resource chemical process
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Qian Eika W. 東京農工大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00302919)
• Research Collaborator: TAKEHARA Satoshi 東京農工大学, 大学院BASE, M2学生 ; CHEN Ning 東京農工大学, 大学院BASE, D3学生
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: バイオマス利用 / 水素化触媒 / 植物油 / モリブデン触媒 / 偶数直鎖炭化水素 / PFAD

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To produce hydrocarbons with linear carbon chain and even carbon number from inedible vegetable oil, e.g., palm oil fat acid distillate (PFAD), the novel catalysts with high selectivity for hydrodeoxygenation, and controlled activities for decarboxylation, isomerization, and cracking were developed. In the alumina-supported Mo-based catalysts, it was found that the kinds and addition amount of promoters significantly influenced the reaction pathways in hydrotreating of vegetable oil. Further, it was observed that the kinds of supports and their surface acid properties remarkably affected the formation and structure of active phases on Mo-based catalysts. Also, several catalysts with good performance were developed. A fixed bed flow reaction system with lab-scale was designed and manufactured, and the reaction results in the hydrotreating of PFAD showed > 95% of conversion of PFAD, and > 90% of selectivity of n-C16+n-C18, indicating that the target of this study was reached.

Free Research Field

触媒工学