Influence of Catalyst Type and Regeneration on Upgrading of Crude Bio-oil through Catalytical Thermal Cracking

Catalysts, such as HZSM-5(Si/Al=50), HZSM-5(25), zeolite 5A, CaHZSM-5(50),ZnHZSM-5(50), and Kaolin were used in upgrading of crude biomass oil from pyrolysis in a fixed-bed reactor under atmospheric pressure, in order to investigate the effects of catalyst type on the yield of desired product. A blank test was carried out in a bed of inert packings to determine the extent of non-catalytical thermal cracking. The gas produced in the reaction was analyzed by the chemical absorption method. Among those catalysts, HZSM-5(50) gave the highest yield of the desired organic distillate while Kaolin gave the least formation of coke. Regeneration of deactivated HZSM-5(50) was studied. In terms of yield of organic distillate and formation rate of coke, the catalytic activity did not change much during the first 3 times of regeneration.