One-Step Hydropyrolysis and Hydrotreating Tandem Reactions of Miscanthus × giganteus Using Ni Impregnated ZSM-5/MCM-41 Composites

Abstract

In this study, we propose that the multistep, tandem catalytic fast hydropyrolysis (CFHP) and hydrotreatment reactions of biomass to produce gasoline and diesel grade biofuels can be conducted in a single step process using a composite of Ni-ZSM-5 microcrystals encapsulated in spherical particles of Ni-MCM-41 (Ni-ZSM-5/Ni-MCM-41). The composite has been successfully prepared via a one-step aerosol method and characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), pyridine adsorption, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and H2 chemisorption. The composite has been tested for one-stage CFHP and hydrotreatment of Miscanthus × giganteus at 600 and 500 °C. The product yields and distribution derived from the one-stage CFHP and hydrotreatment of Miscanthus × giganteus using the Ni-ZSM-5/Ni-MCM-41 composite were compared to those of a typical two-stage process, with Ni-ZSM-5 in the first stage (CFHP) and Ni-MCM-41 in the second stage (hydrotreatment). Additional experiments were carried out using Ni-ZSM-5, Ni-ZSM-5/MCM-41, and ZSM-5/Ni-MCM-41 composites, as well as physical mixtures of Ni-ZSM-5 and Ni-MCM-41 to obtain further insights into the role of each part of the composites to the product yields and distribution derived from the one-stage CFHP and hydrotreatment reaction. The comparison of results showed that the Ni-ZSM-5/Ni-MCM-41 composite enhanced the production of alkanes and methane without sacrificing the yield to monoaromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, this study proves that such a unique composite can complete the two-step tandem reactions in one single step, leading to a self-sustainable and intensified process.

Recent Progress in Electrochemical Upgrading of Bio-Oil Model Compounds and Bio-Oils to Renewable Fuels and Platform Chemicals

“…To make a useable product, bio-oil needs to be stabilized for transportation to a centralized refinery or directly converted into fuels and chemicals. There are several bio-oil upgrading processes including catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), catalytic cracking, steam reforming, and esterification [12,13,15,19,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. HDO is the most widely studied upgrading process, wherein the bio-oil is treated with high pressure hydrogen (200-400 bar) and high temperature (200-400 • C) to remove heteroatoms and increase the hydrogen content [31].…”

Design of Nanostraws in Amine-Functionalized MCM-41 for Improved Adsorption Capacity in Carbon Capture

“…Figure a shows SEM images of the control sample of MCM-41 as obtained through the aerosol-based process indicating spherical particles with polydisperse particle sizes ranging from 50 nm to ∼2 μm , due to the large 1 mm orifice opening of the nebulizer.…”

Catalytic cascade vapor-phase hydrotreatment of plastic waste into fuels and its sustainability assessment

“…16 However, the real-world post-consumer plastic waste is a mixture of different types of plastics, indicating that additional studies exploring feedstock-agnostic catalytic processing routes are required. 17,18…”

“…16 However, the real-world post-consumer plastic waste is a mixture of different types of plastics, indicating that additional studies exploring feedstock-agnostic catalytic processing routes are required. 17,18 Compared with hydrogenolysis and hydrocracking, pyrolysis or catalytic pyrolysis stands out as a technically feasible approach because of its high efficiency, process flexibility, and excellent material adaptability (Fig. 1).…”