“BTX” from Guaiacol HDO under Atmospheric Pressure: Effect of Support and Carbon Deposition

The hydrodeoxygenation and transmethylation of guaiacol was performed over each individual Fe/Ni/HBeta, Fe/Ni/ZSM-5, Fe/Ni/HY, Fe/Ni/MCM-41, Fe/Ni/SiO 2, and Fe/Ni/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst in a fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure and low temperature. The effects of support and reaction time on the products distribution, the rate of transmethylation, and X HDO were studied. Among the different catalysts, Fe/Ni/HY zeolite demonstrated very good activity in both deoxygenation and transmethylation, giving 14% BTX (bezene, toluene, xylene) selectivity, 100% guaiacol conversion, and 26% tansalkylation ratio, thereby minimizing carbon loss and hydrogen consumption during the hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol. Key upgrading reactions for the model chemical compound guaiacol, including aldol condensation, alkylation, hydrogenolysis, aromatization, and deoxygenation, were discussed. The fresh and spent catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 -physisorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and pyridine infrared spectroscopy (Py-IR) methods. The carbon deposition was also investigated.