Silica-Alumina Based Catalytic Cracking of Bio-Oil Using Double Series Reactor

Palm oil empty fruit bunches (EFB) which are abundantly present in Indonesia as waste with a low economic value can be processed into bio-oil through pyrolysis process. However, as it contains large molecules, bio-oil generally has a high viscosity which limits the feasibility of its utilization. In this study, the use of silica-alumina as mesoporous catalyst was examined to improve the quality of products from catalytic cracking of bio-oil by breaking down the large molecules. The effect of the catalyst weight (0-40 gram) on the yield and composition of the catalytic cracking product was investigated. Bio-oil derived from EFB was upgraded through double series reactor under atmospheric pressure to minimize coke formation. The results confirmed that the weight of catalyst affects the quality and quantity of oil product. Increasing catalyst weight from 0 to 40 gram reduced the yield of oil from 42.8 to 22.72% but increased the concentration of gasoline and kerosene from 6.61 to 17.02% and 17.53 to 24.53%, respectively. In addition, increasing catalyst weight promoted an increase in the heating value of oil from 32 to 36.7 MJ/kg.