Behenic acid pyrolysis to produce diesel-like hydrocarbons

In order to obtain diesel-like bio-fuel oil, behenic acid was selected to carry out fast pyrolysis. The decomposition temperature of behenic acid was in the range of 250-450 °C at 20 k/min according to TG experiment. The bio-fuel oil mainly contained alkane, alkene and fatty acid. Components of products were C13-C20 hydrocarbon. Little fraction of aromatic compounds was found in bio-fuel oil. According to ESI FT-ICR MS analysis results, the oxygen containing compounds in bio-fuel oil were mainly O2-O4 classes, with the O3 being the major class. According to GC-MS and ESI FT-ICR MS results, it was found that the carbon chain of behenic acid was cracked to form short carbon chain carboxyl firstly. And then decarboxylation reaction carried out. In other means carboxyl groups were more stable than carbon chain of fatty acid. The probable mechanism of O4 species was free radical reaction. The recommended pyrolysis path was also proposed. Diesel-like bio-fuel oil can be obtained using behenic acid catalytic cracking.