Upgrading of bio-oils over equilibrium FCC catalysts. Contribution from alcohols, phenols and aromatic ethers

• Alcohols, phenols and aromatic ethers were converted on equilibrium FCC catalysts.
• The reactants deoxygenated mainly through dehydration and decarboxylation.
• Phenol and syringol yielded mainly C4-olefins among hydrocarbons.
• Methanol and trimethoxybenzene yielded mainly aromatics in the gasoline range.
• Coke yields were high with trimethoxybenzene and lower with the other reactants.

The conversions of oxygenated compounds of bio-oils (alcohols, phenols and aromatic ethers) on a equilibrium FCC catalyst were studied at 500 °C during 60 s in a fixed bed laboratory reactor. Methanol, phenol and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were dissolved in water and 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene in benzene at 5 %wt. Identical experiments were performed over inert SiC. Conversions were very different, the highest one being that of 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene (95.7 %wt.), followed by 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (75.0 %wt.), methanol (60.8 %wt.) and phenol (54.9 %wt.). Deoxygenation in all the reactants was from dehydration and decarboxylation. The highest yield of hydrocarbons (47.1 %wt.) and coke (16.0 %wt.) were from 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, which, together with methanol, yielded mainly aromatics in the gasoline range. On the contrary, phenol and syringol yielded C4-hydrocarbons with high content of olefins. The highest amounts of oxygenated compounds were produced by 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. The thermal conversions were similar to the catalytic ones in the only case of 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, but much lower with the other reactants. In comparison to the catalytic experiments, thermal tests yielded much more hydrocarbons with 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, and oxygenated compounds with 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, than the other reactants. These tests could help in the prediction of specific contributions by these reactants if bio-oils are co-processed in FCC units or upgraded over acidic catalysts.

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