Green diesel production using stearic and palmitic acids on Ni catalysts obtained from Ternary Hydrotalcites Ni-Mg-Al

Ni-Mg-Al ternary hydrotalcites (HTs) with molar ratio M2+ (Ni2+ + Mg2 +)/Al = 3, and different content of Ni, Ni0Mg3, Ni2Mg1, Ni2Mg1, Ni3Mg0 were prepared. The HTs were calcined and then reduced to generate catalysts based on metallic Ni, which, were used to produce green diesel from a mixture of stearic and palmitic acids at 320 degrees C and 1400 psia of H-2. A reaction scheme was proposed; the main products were alkanes n-C17 and n-C15. The prepared catalysts carry out, mainly, reactions of decarboxylation (DCX) and decarbonylation (DCN), and some hydrocracking. The most active catalyst was Ni2Mg1 because it forms small clusters of nickel, apparently stabilized on MgO or NiO-MgO spinel like structures.