Hydroprocessing and catalytic cracking of biowaxes to biokerosene

Abstract

This thesis presents the investigation of a new process to produce biokerosene from Fischer-Tropsch biowaxes. Wood chips were converted in the Fischer-Tropsch test-facility Güssing (Austria) to biowaxes and further converted via hydroprocessing and catalytic cracking at CPERI/CERTH research institute (Thessaloniki). Two types of biowaxes were explored that consisted almost entirely of linear paraffin. These two feedstocks differed in their melting points, one was about 95°C and the other about 132°C. The wax with the lower melting point was used as a feedstock for the catalytic cracking process in a lab scale automated fixed bed unit. The catalytic cracking process was performed to investigate the conversion of the Fischer-Tropsch biowaxes with conventional zeolite based catalysts. The heavy melting wax was used in the hydrodesulfurisation pilot plant unit for the hydroprocessing experiments. For the hydroprocessing procedure, nickel molybdenum and a dewaxing catalyst were used. In addition, a parameter variation was conducted to determine the optimal parameters for the biokerosene production. These experiments were one of the first attempts to convert Fischer-Tropsch biowaxes to biokerosene.