To overcome the disadvantages
of primary bio-oil, two technical
routes, namely, bio-oil ether extraction coupled with ether-soluble
fraction microwave-assisted catalytic esterification (ES-MACE) and
looped-oxide catalytic deoxygenation/mild electrocatalytic hydrogenation
(MECH)/catalytic cracking to produce hydrocarbons, were conducted
for bio-oil upgrading. With the first route, it was found that the
highest ether extraction efficiency was achieved when the volume ratio
of bio-oil/ether was 1:2 and the ES quality was effectively improved
in comparison to primary bio-oil; after the ES-MACE, the relative
content of acids in the ES decreased dramatically, while that of esters
increased. With the second route, the oxygen content in the bio-oil
deoxidized by a Zn powder decreased by 23.92%. Moreover, the relative
contents of acids, alcohols, and sugars diminished, while those of
esters, carbonyls, and phenols rose. Then, the MECH step further refined
the deoxidized bio-oil; the relative contents of acids, esters, carbonyls,
phenols, sugars, and furans decreased, and that of alcohols increased
substantially. At the same time, the hydrogen/carbon effective ratio
greatly improved after the refining process. Finally, catalytic cracking
by proton-exchanged zeolite Socony Mobil-5 of the obtained bio-oil
was carried out to produce hydrocarbons; the carbon yield of aromatics,
olefins, and total chemicals increased along with the hydrogen/carbon
effective ratio.