NiMo carbide supported on algal derived activated carbon for hydrodeoxygenation of algal biocrude oil

The use of novel algae-derived activated carbon supported NiMo carbide catalysts for upgrading algal biocrude oil by hydrodeoxygenation was investigated. The carbide catalysts were prepared in a two-step process involving sequential impregnation or co-impregnation of NiMo on activated carbon and followed by carbonization through three different methods namely temperature-programmed reaction with 20%CH4-80%H-2, carbothermal hydrogen reduction in H-2, and carbothermal reduction in N-2. The synthesized carbide catalysts were characterized using XRD, BET, TPD-NH3, TGA, and XPS techniques. The catalysts were screened for hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of algal biocrude at various process conditions in a stirred tank reactor to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The liquid hydrocarbon product was analyzed by (HNMR)-H-1, (CNMR)-C-13, Sim-dist, CHNS, and GC-MS to gain insight into algal biofuel properties. The NiMo carbide synthesized through co-impregnation and carbothermal reduction in N-2 showed optimal activity for oxygen removal due to its high acidity and specific surface area and a greater amount of Mo2C as active phases on the surface. Response surface methodology was applied for NiMoC catalyst to optimize the effects of temperature (350-450 degrees C), catalyst loadings (5-15 wt%), and reaction time (1.5-4 h) at a constant pressure of 3 MPa. The upgraded biocrude oil revealed an oxygen reduction percentage of 94% with HHV of 43.9 MJ/kg.

Automated summary

The study investigated the use of novel algae-derived activated carbon supported NiMo carbide catalysts for upgrading algal biocrude oil by hydrodeoxygenation, achieving a 94% oxygen reduction rate and high value in liquid hydrocarbon fuels.