Hydrodeoxygenation of Aqueous-Phase Catalytic Pyrolysis Oil to Liquid Hydrocarbons Using Multifunctional Nickel Catalyst

Herein we investigated the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of aqueous-phase pinyon-juniper catalytic pyrolysis oil (APPJCPO) using a new multifunctional red mud-supported nickel (Ni/RM) catalyst. The organic liquid yield after HDO of APPJCPO using 30 wt % Ni/RM at a reaction temperature of 350 degrees C was 47.8 wt % with an oxygen content of 1.14 wt %. The organic liquid fraction consisted of aliphatics, aromatics, and alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons as well as small amounts of oxygenates. The RM support catalyzed ketonization of carboxylic acids. The Ni metal catalyzed partial reduction of oxygenates that underwent carbonyl alkylation with aldehydes and ketones on the RM. Catalyst deactivation assessment suggested that oxidation and coke formation were the main controlling factors for deactivation of Ni and RM, respectively. For comparison, commercial (similar to 65 wt %) Ni/SiO2 -Al2O3 was tested in HDO experiments, which gasified the soluble organics in APPJCPO and did not produce liquid hydrocarbons.