Modeling Differential Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Surrogate Compounds for Pyrolysis Oil

The final product distribution of catalytic hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oil depends strongly on processing parameters, especially temperature, hydrogen to oil ratio, and catalyst choice. In this study, we have investigated the hydrotreatment of individual surrogate compounds (anisole, m-cresol, guaiacol, and furfural) in a continuous reactor maintained at 7 bar ranging from 250-350°C, over 3 different catalyst types: acidic (ZSM-5), hydrogenation (Pd/C), and bifunctional (Pt/Al₂O₃). Reaction pathways were studied for each temperature and catalyst; higher temperatures led to greater conversions and more cracking, cracking and rearrangement of methyl groups was seen with ZSM-5, ring saturation dominated with Pd/C, and Pt/Al₂O₃ showed a combination of these functionalities. These tests aim for low conversions to study differential rate kinetics that can be used to model the process. This model uses a lumped parameter approach that groups reaction pathways together and sorts compounds by functional groups.