Catalytic cracking of crude soybean oil on Beta nanozeolites

(Co/Zn) Al2O4 nano catalyst for waste cooking oil catalytic cracking

The current work investigated the preparation of Nano-particles of Co/Zn Al₂O₄ as a catalyst via co-precipitation method. Several analyses, including BET, XRD, HRTEM, EDX, SEM, and FTIR, were used to characterize it. The analysis revealed that the prepared catalyst had an average surface area of 69.20 m²/g, a cross-sectional area of 16.2 m²/molecule, an average particle size of approximately 28 nm, and a pore size of 0.22 cm³/g. The prepared catalyst was used in a bio fuel synthesis process via thermo-catalytic cracking of waste cooking oil (WCO) in a single step batch reactor. Catalyst loading was tested with different weight percentage of 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5%. The pilot study revealed that the best conditions for optimizing bio jet fuel yield were 400 °C, a catalyst loading of 2%, and a reaction time of 30 min.The optimal cut-off from the distillation process of crude liquid bio fuel product which represents a fraction of bio-jet fuel was in the range from 150 to 240 °C.

Development of (γ-Al2O3-Zeolite Y)/α-Al2O3-HPCM Catalyst based on Highly Porous α-Al2O3-HPCM Support for Decreasing Oil Viscosity

Highly porous cellular material (α-Al2O3-HPCM) support was synthesized by the template method. Highly porous support was used for the synthesis of the catalyst. A thin secondary layer with 25–30 μ thick γ-Al2O3 and zeolite Y was applied on the α-Al2O3-HPCM surface ((γ-Al2O3 (85%)-zeolite Y (15%))/α-Al2O3-HPCM). The catalyst based on the highly porous support was tested in a process of decreasing oil viscosity. The catalyst in the form of cylindrical granules and a thermal process of decreasing oil viscosity without the catalyst were used as the basis for comparison. α-Al2O3-HPCM in the catalyst provides low-quantity pores (d < 10 nm) and a quantity of general acid centers compared with the granular catalyst. On the other hand, it shows a more significant oil viscosity decrease (from 2500 to 41 cPs) and a low rate of gas generation (137 mL/h) for the catalyst with highly porous support. A high oil fraction was observed in the presence of the (γ-Al2O3-zeolite Y)/α-Al2O3-HPCM compared to the granular catalyst. The presence of large transport cells (pores) 1500–2000 μ for the catalyst based on highly porous support allowed a work period four times longer than that of experiment only with temperature without catalysts.

Evaluation of the Textural Parameters of Zeolite Beta in LDPE Catalytic Degradation: Thermogravimetric Analysis Coupled with FTIR Operando Studies

Zeolite-based catalysts are globally employed in many industrial processes, such as crude-oil refining and bulk chemical production. In this work, the cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was thoroughly followed in a FTIR operando study to examine the catalytic efficiency of purely microporous zeolites β of various textural characteristics. To provide complementary and valuable information on the catalytic activity of the zeolite β studied, the thermogravimetric analysis results were compared with yields of the products generated under operating conditions. The reaction products were analyzed via GC–MS to determine the hydrocarbon chain distribution in terms of paraffin, olefins, and aromatics. The individual impact of textural and acidic parameters on catalytic parameters was assessed. The accumulation of bridging hydroxyls of high strength in the zeolite β benefited the decrease in polymer decomposition temperature. Through a strategic comparison of purely microporous zeolites, we showed that the catalytic cracking of LDPE is dominated by the acidic feature inherent to the microporous environment.