Fluid Catalytic Cracking of Biomass-Derived Oils and Their Blends with Petroleum Feedstocks: A Review

To reduce the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with heavy crude oil/bitumen upgrading and refining in the production of clean transportation fuels, researchers are targeting the production of fuels from renewable energy resources. These resources are mainly biomass-derived oils, which include oils produced by biomass pyrolysis (bio-oil), edible and inedible vegetable oils, and animal fats. Over the past 2 decades, research has focused on the evaluation of biomass-derived oil processing using conventional fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), a technology responsible for producing the majority of gasoline in a petroleum refinery. The present review summarizes research associated with the FCC of various biomass-derived oil feedstocks as well as studies related to the co-processing of these oils with conventional petroleum feedstocks. The objective of this review is to present a comprehensive perspective of the effects of renewable oil processing on existing FCC technology, operation, catalysts, and product quality and quantity.