(734b) Hydrodeoxygenation of Pyrolysis Oil in a Microreactor

Hydrodeoxygenation studies of pyrolysis oil are conventionally carried out in continuous macro reactor systems, which have mass and heat transfer limitations that lead to uneconomical operating conditions such as long residence times, extremely high pressures, and excessively high H2 flow rates. Due to its high surface-to-volume ratio, microreactor provides enhanced heat and mass transfer. Pyrolysis oil obtained from sawdust was hydro-treated in a microreactor to reduce its oxygen content. Sulfided NiMo catalyst, reduced at high temperature and pressure, was used for the hydrodeoxygenation of the pyrolysis oil. In this study, changes in the hydrogen consumption and the product composition as a function of temperature, hydrogen partial pressure, residence time, and mass transfer rate were determined quantitatively using analytical tools such as gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, Karl-Fischer titration, and elemental analyses.