Hydrogenation of acid oils with in situ hydrogen generation for biofuel production

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

A sustainable hydrogen source is essential for improving the environmental performance of industries that are heavily reliant on hydrogen. Transitioning from commercial hydrogen to cleaner sources is vital for reducing fossil fuel dependence. This study investigated the technical feasibility of a more environmentally friendly hydrogenation method for acid oils using in situ hydrogen generation. This approach uses sustainable ethanol under supercritical conditions combined with cost‐effective zinc oxidation in an aqueous medium. The technology enhances environmental sustainability while improving safety, storage, and transportation, offering significant economic advantages. The process also produces zinc oxide, a value‐added material, widely used industrially and typically priced at about 10% higher than metallic zinc. Various strategies optimized hydrogen production by enhancing both hydrogen generation and fatty acid hydrogenation. Using zinc, fatty acid saturation reached 55% at 220 °C, while near‐complete saturation (95%) was achieved at 280 °C with supercritical ethanol and a cost‐effective nickel catalyst. These findings highlight promising pathways for sustainable hydrogen production and hydrogenation using low‐cost catalysts, milder reaction conditions, and recyclable materials, supporting a circular economy.