Hydrocracking of algae oil to aviation fuel-ranged hydrocarbons over NiMo-supported catalysts

An algae oil from Botryococcus braunii (CnH2n-10, n = 29-34) and its model compound (squalene, C30H50) were hydrocracked to light hydrocarbons over NiMo-supported catalysts in batch reactors. Polyoxocation [AlO4Al12(OH)(24)(H2O)(12)](7+)-pillared montmorillonite (denoted by Al-13-Mont) was prepared as a support for NiMo catalyst in the hydrocracking reaction. Al-13-Mont had large micropores, large BET surface area, high temperature stability, and properly weak solid acidity. For the hydrocracking of squalene at 300 degrees C for 6 h under 4 MPa H-2, NiMo/SiO2 formed squalane (C30H62) as a main product; NiMo/H-ZSM-5 formed C-1-C-4 gas hydrocarbons as main products; NiMo/H-Y and NiMo/SiO2-Al2O3 formed C-5-C-9 gasoline-ranged hydrocarbons as main products; NiMo/Al-13-Mont formed C-10-C-15 aviation fuel-ranged hydrocarbons as main products. The catalysts containing NiMo and solid acids acted as bifunctional catalysts in the squalene hydrocracking reaction: squalene (C30H50) was firstly hydrogenated to squalane (C30H62) on the NiMo sites, and then the formed squalane was cracked to light hydrocarbons on the solid acids. The NiMo/Al-13-Mont catalyst achieved a C-10-C-15 aviation fuel-ranged hydrocarbons yield of 52% for the hydrocracking of Botryococcus braunii oil at 300 degrees C for 6 h.