Influence of Nickel Loading and the Synthesis Method on the Efficiency of Ni/TiO2 Catalysts for Renewable Diesel Production

The efficiency of Ni/TiO2 catalysts for renewable diesel production was evaluated in the present study. Two series of catalysts were synthesized and characterized using various physicochemical techniques (N-2 physisorption, XRD, SEM, XPS, H-2-TPR, and NH3-TPD). In the first series of catalysts, successive dry impregnations (SDI) were used for depositing 10, 20, 30, 50, and 60 wt.% Ni. The yield towards renewable diesel is maximized over the catalyst with 50 wt.% Ni loading. Selecting this optimum loading, a second series of catalysts were synthesized via three additional preparation methods: wet impregnation (WI) and deposition-precipitation using either ammonia (DP-NH3) or urea (DP-Urea) as the precipitation agent. The catalysts' efficiency in the production of green diesel is influenced by the preparation method following the order: DP-Urea > DP-NH3 > WI approximate to SDI. The metallic surface area and the balanced acidity mainly determine the performance of the catalysts.

Automated summary

The efficiency of Ni/TiO2 catalysts for renewable diesel production was evaluated. Two series of catalysts were synthesized and characterized using various physicochemical techniques. The yield towards renewable diesel was maximized over the catalyst with 50 wt.% Ni loading. The efficiency of the catalysts in green diesel production was influenced by the preparation method.