Catalytic cracking of sunflower oils over ZSM-5 catalysts

Xianhui Zhao, Lin Wei, James Julson, Yang Gao, Yinbin Huang

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Because not conflict with human and animal food resources, non-food vegetable oils are promising sources for developing liquid advanced biofuel. Directly upgrading non-food vegetable oils to hydrocarbon fuels is likely offering reasonable profit margin for bio-jet fuel production. The sunflower oil extracted from residues that were produced in sunflower seed de-hulled processing is inedible due to its quality not meeting food standards. Genetically modified sunflower grown on margin lands can also provide one possible non-food source for sustainable biofuel production source since it doesn't compete with the use of arable lands. Sunflower oils produced from those non-food sources were cracked on ZSM-5 catalysts in a fixed-bed reactor at three temperatures, 450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C. Characterization of the upgraded sunflower oils, advanced hydrocarbon fuel and distilled residual fuel, including pH value, density, water content, viscosity, heating value, and fatty acid profile, was carried out. The composition of non-condensable gases generated during the catalytic cracking process was also analyzed. The effect of the reaction temperatures on the upgraded sunflower oils' yield and quality was discussed. The results showed that reaction temperatures affected the yield and properties of upgraded sunflower oils. The highest yield of advanced hydrocarbon fuel from raw sunflower oils was 21.1% at 550 °C. Upgraded sunflower oils were a mixture of un-cracked oils and hydrocarbons. After distillation, the advanced hydrocarbon fuel had lower viscosity, moisture content and density. The non-condensable gases contained C, - C5 light hydrocarbons, H2, CO, CO2, etc. The reaction temperatures had significant effect on the concentrations of these compounds during catalytically cracking sunflower oils.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2014, ASABE 2014
PublisherAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Pages619-634
Number of pages16
ISBN (Electronic)9781632668455
StatePublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes
EventAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2014, ASABE 2014 - Montreal, Canada
Duration: Jul 13 2014Jul 16 2014

Publication series

NameAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2014, ASABE 2014
Volume1

Conference

ConferenceAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2014, ASABE 2014
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityMontreal
Period07/13/1407/16/14

Keywords

  • Biofuel
  • Catalyst
  • Catalytic cracking
  • Hydrocarbon
  • Sunflower oil

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