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Upgrading Bio-Oil Over Different Solid Catalysts
Upgrading Bio-Oil Over Different Solid Catalysts
Upgrading Bio-Oil Over Different Solid Catalysts
ReceiVed May 18, 2006. ReVised Manuscript ReceiVed August 24, 2006
Solid acid 40SiO2/TiO2-SO42- and solid base 30K2CO3/Al2O3-NaOH were prepared and compared with
catalytic esterification activity according to the model reaction. Upgrading bio-oil by solid acid and solid base
catalysts in the conditioned experiment was investigated, in which dynamic viscosities of bio-oil was lowered
markedly, although 8 months of aging did not show much viscosity to improve its fluidity and enhance its
stability positively. Even the dehydration by 3A molecular sieve still kept the fluidity well. The density of
upgraded bio-oil was reduced from 1.24 to 0.96 kg/m3, and the gross calorific value increased by 50.7 and
51.8%, respectively. The acidity of upgraded bio-oil was alleviated by the solid base catalyst but intensified
by the solid acid catalyst for its strong acidification. The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
analysis showed that the ester reaction in the bio-oil was promoted by both solid acid and solid base catalysts
and that the solid acid catalyst converted volatile and nonvolatile organic acids into esters and raised their
amount by 20-fold. Besides the catalytic esterification, the solid acid catalyst carried out the carbonyl addition
of alcohol to acetals. Some components of bio-oil undertook the isomerization over the solid base catalyst.
Figure 3. GC-MS spectroscopy of bio-oil and upgraded bio-oils. (a) Raw bio-oil, (b) upgraded bio-oil by the solid acid catalyst, and (c) upgraded
bio-oil by the solid base catalyst.
Table 2. Dynamic Viscosity Change of Partially Hydrated Original Table 4. Properties of Raw and Upgraded Bio-oils after
and Upgraded Bio-oils after 8 Months of Aging Storage Dehydration by 3A Molecular Sieve
dynamic viscositya upgraded upgraded
(partially hydrated bio-oils) (mm2/s) raw bio-oil by bio-oil by
properties bio-oil solid acid solid base
original upgraded bio-oil upgraded bio-oil
bio-oil by solid acid by solid base pH 3.58 1.12 5.54
density (kg/m3) 1.26 0.96 0.93
fresh 120.7 5.161 6.077
H2O content 26.34 11.21 11.02
aged for 8 months 135.6 7.645 7.783
gross calorific value (kJ/kg) 16 752.8 24 975.5 24 478.1
a Measured at a temperature of 20 °C.
Table 5. Percent Area of Acids and Esters in Bio-oil and Upgraded
Table 3. Properties of Raw and Upgraded Bio-oils Bio-oils
upgraded upgraded percent area
original bio-oil by bio-oil by organic acids
properties bio-oil solid acid solid base (nonvolatile) esters
pH 2.60 1.12 5.93 bio-oil 10.0 1.33
density (kg/m3) 1.24 0.96 0.97 upgraded bio-oil by solid acid 12.82 28.00
H2O content 29.79 13.60 12.35 upgraded bio-oil by solid base 12.55 18.46
gross calorific value (kJ/kg) 15 834.7 23 868.7 24 034.9
to 13.6 and 12.35% over 40STS and 30KAN, separately,
of aging storage. The dynamic viscosity of original bio-oil indicating that esterification might be involved.
increased by 14.9 mm2/s, and those of upgraded bio-oils by solid The pH value of upgraded bio-oil catalyzed by the solid acid
acid and solid base catalysts increased by 2.484 and 1.706 mm2/ catalyst was lowered from 2.60 to 1.12 for the catalyst
s, separately, whose absolute mounting magnitude were far acidification, while the pH value of upgraded bio-oil catalyzed
lower than the original one, which indicated the improved by the solid base catalyst rose to 5.93. The density decreased;
stability over time. dynamic viscosity was one-tenth of that of raw bio-oil; and gross
calorific value increased by 50.7 and 51.8%, respectively.
3.2.2. Effect of Catalytic Esterification on Other Proper- The dehydrated bio-oils by 3A molecular sieve were described
ties. The properties of bio-oils were shown in Table 3. The in Table 4.
addition of solution diluted the bio-oil, and the water content The dehydration decreased the water contents of raw and
was lowered. The esterification should follow the equation: upgraded bio-oils over 40STS and 30KAN by 11.6, 17.6, and
RCOOH + R′-OH f RCOOR′ + H2O. On the basis of the 10.8%, respectively, and increased the gross calorific value by
ethanol addition and stoichiometric calculation, the water content 5.8, 4.4, and 1.8%, separately. The 3A molecular sieve
in the upgraded bio-oil should be 11.45% if esterification did influenced the upgraded bio-oil over the solid acid catalyst more
not occur in the reactor but, actually, water contents increased and did not make much difference on the density. All of the
2720 Energy & Fuels, Vol. 20, No. 6, 2006 Zhang et al.
Table 6. Corresponding Components in Raw and Upgraded Bio-oils by the Solid Acid Catalyst
components
in raw bio-oil in upgraded bio-oil by solid acid
formic acid f ethane,1,1′,1′′-[methylidynetris(oxy)]tris-
formic acid f formic acid anhydride f acetic acid, diethoxy-,ethyl ester
butanedioic acid f butanedioic acid, diethyl ester
1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid f 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, diethyl ester
Table 7. Corresponding Components in Raw and Upgraded Bio-oils by the Solid Base Catalyst
components
in raw bio-oil in upgraded bio-oil by solid alkali
butanedioic acid f butanedioic acid, diethyl ester
1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid f 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, diethyl ester
3-methyl-1,2-benzenediol f 2-methyl-1,3-benzenediol
3,5-dimethylbenzoic acid f 2,3-dimethylbenzoic acid
above results indicated that the direct and simple physical 4. Conclusions
dehydration was not effective and ideal in upgrading the bio-
oil, which can be taken as an assistant method. (1) Both the solid acid catalyst 40STS and the solid base
3.3. Effect of Catalytic Esterification on the Composition catalyst 30KAN can catalyze the model esterification of ethanol
of Bio-oil. Bio-oil is a complex mixture highly oxygenated with and acetic acid. 40STS achieved higher catalytic activity on
a great amount of large-size molecules, which nearly involve esterification than 30KAN. (2) The catalytic esterification
all species of oxygenated organics, such as esters, ethers, stabilized the bio-oil with lowered dynamic viscosity and
aldehydes, ketones, phenols, organic acids, and alcohols. The enhanced fluidity, which was sustained after the dehydration
analysis on the composition of bio-oil and upgraded bio-oil was by 3A molecular sieve and aging for 8 months as well. (3) The
illustrated in the spectroscopy of Figure 3. upgraded bio-oils were observed with density decreased from
The bio-oil consisted of nonvolatile components, such as 1.24 to 0.96 kg/m3, and the gross calorific value increased by
furfural, benzoic acid, benzene dicarboxylic acid, and other 50.7 and 51.8% over 40STS and 30KAN, respectively. The pH
organic acid. Most of the components identified were the value of upgraded bio-oil over the solid acid catalyst was
phenols and the derivatives with methyl, methoxy, propenyl, lowered from 2.60 to 1.12 for the catalyst acidification, while
ketones, and aldehydes groups attached, and nearly all of the the pH value of upgraded bio-oil over the solid base catalyst
functional groups confirmed the existence of oxygen. The rose to 5.93. The water content was lowered from 29.79 to 11.21
comparison on the spectroscopy was shown in Table 5 and and 11.02% by catalytic esterification over solid acid and solid
validated the remarkable variation on the composition of bio- base catalysts, separately, and partial dehydration by 3A
oils considering the source material.11 For example, the obvious molecular sieve. (4) The analysis on the composition proved
peaks at time ) 35.00 min in b and c did not appear in a, and that catalytic esterification occurred over both solid acid and
according to analysis results, they are signals of 1,2-benzene- solid base catalysts, and the proportion of esters in the upgraded
dicarboxylic acid and bis(2-ethylhexyl)ester, which did not exist bio-oils increased remarkably, by 20-fold over the solid acid
in the raw bio-oil. The area of esters was increased by 20-fold catalyst. Both volatile and nonvolatile acids can be converted
over the solid acid catalyst, including esters based on volatile to esters over the 40STS catalyst, indicating its high activity.
acids, such as formate and acetate, and by 12.9-fold over the (5) Over the solid acid catalyst, the organic acid reacted with
solid base catalyst. The evidence proved that 40STS presented alcohol not only to esters but also to acetals by nucleophilic
the high esterification activity and both solid acid and base addition. Besides esterification, isomerization happened over the
catalysts can convert organic acid to esters by catalytic esteri- solid base catalyst based on the component variation.
fication.
The composition transformation of bio-oils was shown in Acknowledgment. The authors thank the National Natural
Tables 6 and 7. The organic acid reacted with alcohol not only Science Foundation of China (50476090) and the Natural Science
to esters but also to acetals by nucleophilic addition over the Foundation of Guangdong Province (04000378) for financial
support.
solid acid catalyst. Besides esterification, isomerization happened
over the solid base catalyst based on the component variation. EF060224O