Deoxygenation of Oleic Acid Using Modified MCM-41 Supported Nickel-Tungstate Catalyst to Produce Renewable Biofuel Liquid Alkanes: Kinetic Study

Sulfated zirconia-modified NiW/SZ-MCM-41 and alumina-modified NiW/Al2O3-MCM-41 catalysts were prepared and characterized using the wet co-impregnation method. NiW/SZ-MCM-41 had better acidity. The focus was on NiW/SZ-MCM-41, and its performance in the deoxygenation of oleic acid was studied under various operational parameters. Kinetic studies at 375-450°C were done, and the Lingo program was used to correlate oleic acid hydrocracking rates with organic liquid product formation. The results matched the experimental data well. Under optimal conditions, both catalysts produced kinds of paraffin (C5-C17) as primary products. Particularly, the content of light paraffin (≤C15) was notably high, comprising 86.25% with the sulfided NiW/SZ-MCM-41 catalyst and 81.30% with the NiW/Al2O3-MCM-41 catalyst. Furthermore, the sulfided NiW/SZ-MCM-41 catalyst exhibited superior physical properties in the hydrocracked product compared to the sulfided NiW/Al2O3-MCM-41 catalyst. These findings suggest that NiW/SZ-MCM-41 holds promise as a catalyst for converting waste cooking oil into eco-friendly fuel.