Catalytic and Thermal Decarboxylation of Mg-Zn Basic Soap to Produce Drop-in Fuel in Diesel Boiling Ranges

Fatty acid deoxygenation is a method for producing renewable hydrocarbon fuels such as green diesel, jet biofuel and biogasoline. In the present commercial method, deoxygenation is directly applied to vegetable oils through liquid phase hydrotreatment. This method is expensive because it consumes a large amount of hydrogen and requires severe operating conditions. The objective of this study was the production of a diesel-like hydrocarbon fuel that can be considered as drop-in replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuels, by catalytic thermal decarboxylation of Mg-Zn basic soap. In particular, this study investigated the decarboxylation of Mg-Zn basic soap at low temperature and pressure, without external supply of hydrogen. The Mg-Zn basic soap (9/1 mole ratio of Mg/Zn) was derived from palm stearin and decarboxylated at 350 °C and atmospheric pressure for 5 hours. The basic soap effectively decarboxylated, yielding a diesel-like hydrocarbon fuel with a liquid product yield of 62%-weight. The resulting hydrocarbon product is a complex mixture consisting of normal paraffins in the range of carbon chain length C8–C19, iso-paraffins and various olefin products

Synthesis of Biokerosene Through Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Terpene Hydrocarbons From Turpentine Oil

Indonesia possesses great potential for developing renewable resources as alternative fuels. For example, turpentine oil obtained from Pinus merkusii, which contains mostly monoterpene hydrocarbons (C10H16). The oil is highly suitable to be processed for biokerosene or even jet biofuel. It consists of hydrocarbons within the range of C10 to C15. However, it contains insufficient H and thus needs to be upgraded. In the present work, electrochemical hydrogenation was used for upgrading. In the electrochemical cell, stainless steel, silver, and carbon were used alternately for the anode, while copper and silver Raschig rings were used for the cathode. An electrolyte solution of cuprous ammonium formate was utilized not only as a source of H but also to draw the unsaturated hydrocarbons into the aqueous phase. The electrolyte : oil ratio (up to 2:1), electrolyte concentration (between 0.4 and 2 M) and reaction time were varied throughout the experiments. The bromine number (unsaturation level) of the turpentine oil, which was initially 1,86 (mole Br2/mole), was lowered significantly to 0.69-0.90. Promising increase of smoke point values were observed from 11 mm to 16-24 mm, indicating a higher H content of the processed oil, thus making it suitable as a substitute for petroleum kerosene

Pengolahan Awal Lignoselulosa Menggunakan Amoniak Untuk Meningkatkan Perolehan Gula Fermentasi

Salah satu kendala utama dalam pemanfaatan lignoselulosa sebagai bahan mentah bioetanol adalah tingginya biaya yang dibutuhkan dalam proses pengolahan awal (pretreatment) untuk mempersiapkan lignoselulosa tersebut agar mudah dihidrolisis oleh enzim menjadi monomer-monomer gulanya (gula fermentasi). Para peneliti berupaya mengembangkan teknologi pretreatment, diantaranya dengan menggunakan asam, basa, ataupun mikroorganisme. Tetapi sangat disayangkan teknologi yang banyak berkembang menggunakan kondisikondisi ekstrim (temperatur, tekanan dan konsentrasi pelarut yang tinggi), sehingga dibutuhkan peralatan yang mahal. Hal ini dinilai tidak cocok untuk dikembangkan di negara berkembang seperti Indonesia. Oleh karena itu, penelitian diarahkan kepada pemanfaatan teknologi yang dapat menurunkan biaya, dengan beberapa syarat antara lain bahan kimia dapat dijumput dan digunakan lagi, dan beroperasi pada kondisi ruang. Salah satu teknologi yang diharapkan dapat memenuhi persyaratan ini adalah teknologi perendaman menggunakan amoniak pada tekanan dan temperatur ruang (solution soaking with aqueous-ammonia, SAA). Teknologi ini masih baru, sehingga perlu diteliti dan dikembangkan, terutama pemanfaatannya pada berbagai macam sumber lignoselulosa yang ada di Indonesia. Bagaimanapun, hasil penelitian menunjukan peningkatan perolehan gula hasil hidrolisis enzim yang cukup signifikan, dan kedepannya diharapkan dapat menurunkan biaya pengolahan. Keywords: lignoselulosa, pretreatment, hidrolisis enzim, gula fermentasi, SAA

Comparison of Liquid Product Characteristics of PFAD Metal Soap Decarboxylation by Batch and Continuous Process

Well-run continuous processes will benefit the industrial world in the future. This paper investigated the effect of batch and continuous processes on metal basic soap decarboxylation in terms of the liquid product characteristics. The metal soap used in the process was made from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) reacted with mixed metal oxides of Zn, Mg, and Ca. While the batch decarboxylation was carried out in a batch reactor at 400 °C for 5 hours, the continuous decarboxylation was conducted at 400 °C with a feed flow rate of 3.75 gr/minutes. Theoretically, the yield of batch decarboxylation is 76.6 wt% while the yield of continuous decarboxylation is 73.37 wt%. The liquid product was fractionated to separate short-chain hydrocarbon of C7-C10 (gasoline fractions) from medium- to long-chain hydrocarbons, or greater than C11 (green diesel fraction). The result showed that the alkane content from the batch process was higher than from the continuous process, whereas the continuous process produced more ketone products compared to the batch process. Furthermore, the GC-FID analysis showed a similar amount of total hydrocarbon (alkane, iso-alkane, and alkene) in both the batch and the continuous process

Evaluation and Modification of Processes for Bioethanol Separation and Production

This paper concerns on process evaluation and modification for bioethanol separation and production by applying pinch technology. Further, the paper is also focused on obtaining a most energy-efficient process among several processes. Three basic process configurations of bioethanol separation and production were selected for this study. The three separations and production systems are Othmer process, Barbet process and a separation process that operates under vacuum condition. Basically, each process is combination of Danish Distilleries process with a separation system yielding 95% (v/v) bioethanol. The production capacity of the plant is estimated about 4 x 107 litre of bioethanol 95% (v/v) per year. The result of the studies shows that the most energy efficient process among the three processes evaluated is the Othmer process, followed by the Barbet process and the process involving vacuum operation. The evaluation also shows that further energy saving can be carried for Barbet and Othmer process configuration when Tmin = 10oC for heat exchange possible

Evaluation and Modification of Processes for Bioethanol Separation and Production

This paper concerns on process evaluation and modification for bioethanol separation and production by applying pinch technology. Further, the paper is also focused on obtaining a most energy-efficient process among several processes. Three basic process configurations of bioethanol separation and production were selected for this study. The three separations and production systems are Othmer process, Barbet process and a separation process that operates under vacuum condition. Basically, each process is combination of Danish Distilleries process with a separation system yielding 95% (v/v) bioethanol. The production capacity of the plant is estimated about 4 x 107 litre of bioethanol 95% (v/v) per year. The result of the studies shows that the most energy efficient process among the three processes evaluated is the Othmer process, followed by the Barbet process and the process involving vacuum operation. The evaluation also shows that further energy saving can be carried for Barbet and Othmer process configuration when Tmin = 10oC for heat exchange possible

Evaluation and Modification of Processes for Bioethanol Separation and Production

This paper concerns on process evaluation and modification for bioethanol separation and production by applying pinch technology. Further, the paper is also focused on obtaining a most energy-efficient process among several processes. Three basic process configurations of bioethanol separation and production were selected for this study. The three separations and production systems are Othmer process, Barbet process and a separation process that operates under vacuum condition. Basically, each process is combination of Danish Distilleries process with a separation system yielding 95% (v/v) bioethanol. The production capacity of the plant is estimated about 4 x 107 litre of bioethanol 95% (v/v) per year. The result of the studies shows that the most energy efficient process among the three processes evaluated is the Othmer process, followed by the Barbet process and the process involving vacuum operation. The evaluation also shows that further energy saving can be carried for Barbet and Othmer process configuration when Tmin = 10oC for heat exchange possible

Catalytic and Thermal Decarboxylation of Mg-Zn Basic Soap to Produce Drop-in Fuel in Diesel Boiling Ranges

Fatty acid deoxygenation is a method for producing renewable hydrocarbon fuels such as green diesel, jet biofuel and biogasoline. In the present commercial method, deoxygenation is directly applied to vegetable oils through liquid phase hydrotreatment. This method is expensive because it consumes a large amount of hydrogen and requires severe operating conditions. The objective of this study was the production of a diesel-like hydrocarbon fuel that can be considered as drop-in replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuels, by catalytic thermal decarboxylation of Mg-Zn basic soap. In particular, this study investigated the decarboxylation of Mg-Zn basic soap at low temperature and pressure, without external supply of hydrogen. The Mg-Zn basic soap (9/1 mole ratio of Mg/Zn) was derived from palm stearin and decarboxylated at 350 °C and atmospheric pressure for 5 hours. The basic soap effectively decarboxylated, yielding a diesel-like hydrocarbon fuel with a liquid product yield of 62%-weight. The resulting hydrocarbon product is a complex mixture consisting of normal paraffins in the range of carbon chain length C8"“C19, iso-paraffins and various olefin products

Dinamika dan Karakter Produk Hasil Dekarboksilasi Sabun Hidroksi Pelargonat

Pengembangan bahan bakar nabati akan memberi berbagai manfaat bagi pembangunan nasional, antara lain pengurangan impor bahan bakar minyak dan peningkatan ketahanan energi nasional. Oleh karena itu, teknologi untuk pembuatan bahan bakar nabati pensubstitusi bahan bakar minyak, terutama bensin, merupakan kebutuhan yang mendesak. Salah satu teknologi untuk menghasilkan bahan bakar nabati pensubstitusi bensin adalah dekarboksilasi sabun hidroksi pelargonat. Magnesium hidroksi pelargonat [Mg(OH)(OOCC8H17)] dapat didekarboksilasi menghasilkan n-oktana [C8H18] dan magnesium karbonat [MgCO3] yang pada temperatur mendekati 500oC akan terurai menjadi MgO dan CO2. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan pemahaman tentang dinamika dan karakter produk cair hasil reaksi dekarboksilasi sabun hidroksi pelargonat [Mg(OH)OOCC8H17] pada rentang suhu 250-350oC.The development of biofuel have a lot of advantages for national growth, such as, imports reduction of fuel and increasing national energy security and sustainability. Therefore, biofuel production technology for substitution of fuel oil especially gasoline, is very important. One of technology method to produce biogasoline is decarboxylation of pelargonic hydroxy metal soap. Magnesium hydroxy pelargonate [Mg(OH)(OOCC8H17)] can be decarboxylated to produce n-octane [C8H18] and magnesium carbonate [MgCO3] which at temperatures close to 500oC decompose into MgO and CO2. The objectives of this research is to investigate comprehensively the dynamics and character liquid products from decarboxylation of pelargonic hydroxy soap [Mg(OH)OOCC8H17] reaction at temperature range of 250-350oC

High Selectivity of Alkanes Production by Calcium Basic Soap Thermal Decarboxylation

Renewable fuel production from vegetable oil and fat or its fatty acids by direct decarboxylation has been widely reported. An innovative approach to produce drop-in fuel via thermal catalytic decarboxylation of basic soap derived from palm stearin reported in this research. The catalytic effect of the calcium and magnesium metals in the basic soap and its decarboxylation on drop-in fuel yield and product distribution was studied. The catalytic effect was tested in the temperature range up to 370°C and atmospheric pressure for 5 hours in a batch reactor. It has been proved that the calcium basic soap decarboxylation, effectively produce the drop-in fuel in carbon ranges C8 – C20, in which more than 78% selectivity toward alkane. Whereas, only 70% selectivity toward alkane has been resulted from the magnesium basic soap decarboxylation