HYDROCRACKING OF OLEIC ACID USING MODIFIED NIW/SZ-MCM-41 TO PRODUCE ECO-FRIENDLY GREEN FUELS

Oleic acid hydrocracking reactions have been investigated in a batch reactor over sulfide NiW/SZ-MCM-41 catalyst which was synthesized via the wet co-impregnation method. The catalyst was investigated by different instrumental techniques such as XRD, Textural surface properties, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, FT-IR and thermal analysis (TGA-DSC) techniques. Operating conditions of the hydrocracking reaction are; temperature= 425°C, pressure= 4 MPa, reaction Time = 2h, and catalyst weight%=5%. Quantitative gas chromatography detected n-paraffins and iso-paraffins ranging between C5–C18+ included C5-C8 gasoline range, C9-C14 kerosene range and C15-C18 diesel range. The product distribution of the organic liquid product contains 28.57% gasoline range (C5-C8), 53.88% kerosene range (C9-C14) and 16.83% diesel range (C15-C18). Distillation of OLP produced three distillates, gasoline (45-160ºC), kerosene (160-275ºC) and diesel (275-310ºC). The produced kerosene range has good properties compared with the properties of conventional kerosene. These properties made it qualified to use as a source of jet fuel production. Properties of the diesel range distillate obtained were favorable with the UOP –Hydro refining green diesel.

The sulfided NiW/SZ-MCM-41catalyst is viewed as an interesting catalyst for the hydrocracking of fatty acid molecules into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel-range used as green fuel.