(130b) The Hydrogenation of Simulated Catalytically Upgraded Biomass Pyrolysis Oils

Biomass pyrolysis oils can be produced by rapidly heating biomass materials such as wood, corn stover, or straw to500°C for approximately 1 s and then cooling rapidly.  The resulting liquids are combustible, but have many undesirable properties as fuels.  Therefore, efforts are underway to upgrade these liquids to better fuels.

One way of improving these oils is to catalytically upgrade them during the pyrolysis process to reduce the oxygen content and then hydrogenate the resulting liquids to further reduce the oxygen so that the final product consists mostly of hydrocarbons. To test this approach, three simulated catalytically upgraded pyrolysis liquids were prepared based on microscale tests of catalytic pyrolysis..  These liquids were then hydrotreated in a 100-mL batch autoclave at 250-360°C and 1500 psi initial hydrogen pressure in the presence of a carbon-supported palladium catalyst.

The product compositions showed that a general reduction in oxygen was achieved as well as hydrogenation.  However, in order to achieve high levels of deoxygenation, the more severe condition (360°C) was needed to deoxygenate phenolic compounds.  The main mechanism was hydrogenation followed by hydro-deoxygenation.