Catalyst Screening and Optimization Condition of Green Solvent for BHD Production using Ni-based Catalysts

The high production costs associated with bio-hydrogenated diesel (BHD) have posed a major challenge. Considering this, the present research focused on the production of green solvents at lower pressures as a potential solution. Specifically, the synthesis of various catalysts, namely Ni/γ-Al2O3, Ni/C, NiMo/γ-Al2O3, NiMo/SiO2TiO2, and NiMo/C, was conducted to facilitate the hydrodeoxygenation reaction of methyl laurate into cyclohexane, leading to conversion into dodecane. The resulting green solvent was analyzed using GC-FID and GC-TCD techniques. Among the five catalysts tested, NiMo/C demonstrated superior performance, achieving a conversion rate of 64.61%, selectivity of 62.46%, and yield of 44.98%. The gas analysis conducted using GC-TCD revealed the production of carbon monoxide, methane, and carbon dioxide, aligning with the dodecane pathway theory. Further analysis of the NiMo/C catalyst was conducted using SEM, BET, and XRD techniques, while the Design of Expert program was used to identify more favorable conditions for dodecane production. Through this optimization process, significant improvements were achieved, resulting in a conversion rate of 98.26%, selectivity of 66.82%, and yield of 65.66% at 320 °C and 28 bar, with a reaction time of 6 h.