Abstract
The growing need for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels has intensified interest in the catalytic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass, particularly lignin, into liquid transportation fuels. This research explores the development and application of bifunctional nickel-supported 2D ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and 2D ZSM-5 for hydropyrolysis of lignin A range of zeolite morphologies—including conventional and flower-like nanosheets—were synthesized with varying Si/Al ratios to tailor acidity and metal–acid synergy. Nickel was introduced via wet impregnation at loadings of 3–10 wt%, and catalysts were extensively characterized using SEM and EDS techniques. In addition, hydropyrolysis and HDO experiments were conducted under controlled hydrogen pressure and temperature conditions. Results demonstrated that increasing nickel loading significantly enhanced oxygen removal and shifted product selectivity toward lighter hydrocarbons. Catalysts with lower Si/Al ratios exhibited higher deoxygenation efficiency and favored the production of C6–C8 fuel-range hydrocarbons. 2D ZSM-5 zeolites improved cycloalkane yields and oxygen removal due to greater molecular accessibility. Product distribution analyses showed a clear transition from phenolic intermediates to aromatic and polycyclic hydrocarbons with increasing catalyst-to-lignin ratio for hydropyrolysis.
Date of publication
Summer 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4880
Recommended Citation
Defor, Charles, "2D ZEOLITE-BASED CATALYSTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOFUELS AND BIOCHEMICALS" (2025). Mechanical Engineering Theses. Paper 43.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4880