​​

Upgrading renewables, secondary, and waste streams through innovative hydroprocessing catalysts and reaction pathways

Problem statement

Hydroprocessing is a well-implemented and versatile refinery conversion strategy, comprising a wide array of reaction routes such as: (i) hydrotreating, aiming for the hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons and the removal (hydrogenolysis) of heteroatoms such as sulfur or nitrogen; (ii) hydrocracking, for promoting C–C bond scission and the partial saturation of aromatics; or (iii) hydrodeoxygenation, for the specific removal of oxygen moieties. In this project, we investigate the conversion of highly polyaromatic feedstock like heavy fuel oil (HFO), pyrolysis fuel oil (PFO), or bio-oils from different biomass sources (i.e., agricultural waste, algae) for quality improvement and obtaining products with higher added value.

We seek new (thermo-) catalytic strategies and improved heterogeneous catalysts with increased activity and stability. We put advanced analytical characterization techniques (i.e., nuclear magnetic resonance, high-res mass spectrometry) to work and combine their results with modeling and statistical tools.

Goals

  • Develop a quantitative analytical workflow to analyze and interpret these complex reacting environments
  • Explore novel renewable and waste resources to obtain chemicals and fuels
  • Deploy ad-hoc catalysts and process conditions to incorporate these wastes in the refinery (bio- and waste-refinery)
  • Analyze process dynamics and kinetics
HPC

Related People

Related Publications

Stability of an Acid Activated Carbon Based Bifunctional Catalyst for the Raw Bio-Oil Hydrodeoxygenation

by Cordero-Lanzac, Palos, Arandes, Castaño, Rodriguez-Mirasol, Cordero, Bilbao
Appl. Catal. B: Environ. Year: 2017

Abstract

The performance (activity, selectivity and stability) of a Pt-Pd catalyst supported on a phosphorus-containing activated carbon (ACP) has been studied in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of raw bio-oil, and compared with another bifunctional catalyst prepared with a FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) catalyst as acid support. Experiments have been carried out in a fixed bed reactor under the following conditions: 400–450 °C; 65 bar; space time, 0.18 gcat h g−1bio-oil; H2:bio-oil ratio, 20 cm3H2 (STP) cm−3bio-oil; time on stream, 0–10 h. The catalyst reaches a pseudo-steady state at 450 °C after 6 h of time on stream, preserving a constant activity as a consequence of the simultaneous formation and hydrocracking of the deposited coke. In these conditions, the yield of C5+ hydrocarbons is 20 wt%. This organic liquid fraction mainly contains aromatics, and thus, it may require an additional mild hydrocracking treatment for its valorization as fuel. On the other hand, the gas fraction obtained can be used directly as fuel, and the aqueous liquid fraction (with a high concentration of methanol, 58 wt%) is interesting as co-feedstock with methanol in a methanol to olefins (MTO) unit.

Keywords

HPC W2C MKM