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Over ons Actueel Evenementen Promoties

Catalytic hydroprocessing of bio-oils of different types

Promotie:Dhr. D.C. (Doug) Elliott
Wanneer:31 mei 2019
Aanvang:14:30
Promotor:prof. dr. ir. H.J. (Hero Jan) Heeres
Copromotor:dr. R. Venderbosch
Waar:Academiegebouw RUG
Faculteit:Science and Engineering
Catalytic hydroprocessing of bio-oils of different types

One pathway from renewable biomass feedstocks to replacements for liquid fuels from fossil sources is the fast pyrolysis pathway. Catalytic hydroprocessing of fast pyrolysis bio-oil is intended to improve the fuel quality from the highly oxygenated products to a hydrocarbon mixture, which could serve as a fuel in conventional transportation systems. This thesis includes studies to advance the state of technology of bio-oil hydrotreating.

This thesis describes experimental work of an applied nature with a strong underpinning of chemical mechanistic understanding, catalytic material analysis, and fuel property considerations. The chapters describe some of the most recent efforts in converting several types of biomass fast pyrolysis bio-oils to hydrocarbon mixtures with potential use as fuel blending components.  Bench-scale experiments in the hydroprocessing of a range bio-oil products including  1) conventional fluid-bed pyrolysis products, 2) hot-vapor filtered bio-oil from an entrained flow reactor, 3) fractionated bio-oil from a conventional fluid-bed reactor, 4) oil products from a bio-oil recycle system, and 5) a catalytic pyrolysis product, which is a stabilized (deoxygenated) fast pyrolysis bio-oil product are reported.

The chapters of this thesis demonstrate that a range of bio-oil products can be transformed by catalytic hydrotreatment to produce primarily hydrocarbon mixtures. The different bio-oil types, which were processed, can have different results relative to ease of processing due to trace component content or thermal stability related to oxygenated component types. The products can vary based on component types as well as yield structure.

See also: New insight in biomass liquefaction using thermochemical approaches