Hydrotreating biomass liquids to produce hydrocarbon fuels

Conference · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5664873

Elliott, D C; Baker, E G

Experimentation is underway at Pacific Northwest Laboratory to investigate the thermochemical transformation of biomass to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Recent emphasis has been on the upgrading of the crude oil from biomass to the finished hydrocarbon. Specifically, catalytic hydrotreating of the crude oil is performed to reduce the molecular weight and remove oxygen. Experimentation has involved the use of a continuous-feed, fixed-bed catalytic reactor to hydrodeoxygenate and hydrocrack the biomass crude oils at conditions of 250/sup 0/C to 400/sup 0/C and 2000 psig. Catalysts and conditions similar to those used in petroleum hydrotreating have been used to produce a nearly pure hydrocarbon liquid product. The process optimization has emphasized minimizing hydrogen consumption in order to maintain the aromatic character of the product and minimize gas production. Both wood-derived high-pressure liquefaction oils and flash-pyrolysis oils have been used as feedstocks for hydrodeoxygenation. Research results are presented pertaining to a two-step hydrotreating process designed for the pyrolysis oils. In the first step, a low-temperature (270/sup 0/C) catalytic (sulfided cobalt-molybdenum) treatment is used to process the thermally unstable pyrolyzate into a tar similar in characteristics to the high-pressure liquefaction product. This tar can then be hydrodeoxygenated and hydrocracked by conventional hydrotreating techniques to a high octane gasoline. 15 refs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5664873
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-13405; CONF-860405-4; ON: DE86011126
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
CATALYTIC HYDROSOLVATION PROCESS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL LIQUEFACTION
DATA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HYDROGENATION
INFORMATION
LIQUEFACTION
NUMERICAL DATA
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
PYROLYTIC OILS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WOOD