International Journal of Biotechnology, Chemical & Environmental Engineering (IJBCEE), Vol.

1, (1), April 2012

ISSN 2278 – 0696

Catalytic cracking of used palm oils

Dhundiraj P.Deshpande*1, S.V.Aneker2 and N.G.Kanse3
1
Dept of Chemical Engineering, TKIET,Warananagar, Dist. Kolhapur M.S, INDIA
2
Dept of Chemical Engineering, . TKIET,Warananagar, Dist. Kolhapur M.S, INDIA
3
Dept.Chemical Engineering, Finolex College of Engineering and Management, Ratnagiri, INDIA

*Corresponding author: dhundiraj12@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:
The treatment of the waste has become one of the most important concerns of modern society to protect the
environment. As global reserve of fossil fuels is limited, great efforts are being made to find ultimate carbon
sources for the production of fuels. Since waste cooing oil contains water and free fatty acids, catalytic pyrolysis
offers great advantage to eliminate the pre-treatment capital and operating cost.The present work reports the
results obtained from conversion of used palm oil to hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals with sodium carbonate by
using special pyrolysis reactor and effect of the process parameter, i.e., temperature and catalyst concentration.
The purpose of the use of packed column is to increase residence time of the primer pyrolysis products which
cause additional thermal and catalytic reactions for the increasing of the liquid hydrocarbon content in narrow
boiling range.
Keywords: Palm Oil, Pyrolysis, fossil fuel, liquid hydrocarbon

to 420oC by using the fractionating column of

I INTRODUCTION
The depleting reserves of fossil fuel, increasing
demand for diesels and uncertainty in their
availability is considered to be the important trigger
for many initiatives to search for the alternative
sources of energy, which can supplement or replace
fossil fuels. Due to economical, social, and
ecological reasons, several studies have been done in
order to obtain alternative fuel sources. In this
respect, fermentation, transesterification, and
pyrolysis of biomass, industrial, and domestic
wastes, have been proposed as alternative solutions
for the increasing of energy demand and
environmental awareness. Among these different
approaches, pyrolysis seems to be a simple and
efficient method for fuel production. For example
plastics [1], industrial and automotive waste oils [2],
wood pyrolysis oils [3], fresh andwaste fats and
vegetal oils [4], etc. have been proposed as pyrolysis
rawmaterial to produce gasoline and diesel like fuels.
Katikaneni et al.[5] have shown that the catalytic
conversion of canola oil to fuels and chemicals
carried out with HZSM-5 at atmospheric pressure, a
temperature range of 375 to 500oC and weight hourly
space velocity of 1.8 to 3.6 h-1 in fixed bed micro
reactor yields an organic liquid product, light
hydrocarbon gases and water as major products.
HZSM-5 yielded the highest amount of organic
liquid product of 63 mass % at 1.8 h and 400oC
which consisted of 83.8% hydrocarbons. Levent
Dandik and A.K. Aksoy [6] have shown that the
catalytic conversion of used sun flower oil to fuels
and chemicals carried out with CaCO3 catalyst at
atmospheric pressure, a temperature range of 400oC
different length yields organic liquid product, light
hydrocarbons gases and water as a major product.
The catalyst used yielded the highest amount of
organic liquid product of 83 mass % at 3 h-1 and
420oC which consist of 87% liquid hydrocarbon
product. Trancy John Benson [7] investigated the
cracking chemistry as model lipids were reacted over
a catalyst, HZSM-5, and two industrially used
catalyst, faujasite and silica-alumina. Initial work
began with a homogeneous system in which oleic
acid, an unsaturated free fatty acid, and triflic acid, a
Bronsted super acid, were reacted at low
temperatures. Results indicated that protonation
began at the double bond with cracking occurring in
the direction away from the carboxylic end and
producing a multiplicity of branched saturated fatty
acids. Heterogeneous cracking on H-ZMS-5 at 400oC
indicated that acylglycerides initially crack due to
protonation occurring on the outside surface of the
catalyst. Secondary cracking formed olefins (C2 – C4)
which then oligomerize to form aromatic
hydrocarbons that wewe within the range of
components for gasoline.Idem, et al. [8] used canola
oil as a model to determine the effect of different
catalytic properties such as acidity, basicity,
crystalline structure and pore size on cracking
reactions. They determined that the important factors
for producing a high yield from catalytic cracking of
canola oil to liquid product were the catalyst
crystalline structure and catalyst shape selectivity.
Crystalline catalyst offer more surface area in which
active acid sites initiate the cracking of the molecule.
Shape selective characteristics, such as that of
HZMS-5, allow for minor cracking. Minor cracking

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 International Journal of Biotechnology, Chemical & Environmental Engineering (IJBCEE), Vol.1, (1), April 2012
ISSN 2278 – 0696
results in large production of organic liquid products
(OLP) and small productions of gaseous products.
Also, catalysts with basic centers, such as calcium
oxide and magnesium oxide, impede the
decomposition of long chain oxygenated
hydrocarbons. It was shown that reactions using
basic catalyst yielded similar products as thermal
cracking (i.e., long chain hydrocarbons and
oxygenated hydrocarbons), but secondary cracking
required for the formation of aromatic compounds
could not be formed from the basic catalysts.
II. MATERIALS AND METHOD
The treatment of the waste has become one of the
most important concerns of modern society to protect
the environment. In the present work used palm oil is
used twice for frying of vegetables obtained from a
restaurant Sodium carbonate of analytical grade, of
Riedel Product Company was used for the
experiment.
Experimental set up
Pyrolysis reactions are carried out in a reactor of
(5oo ml; three necked flask) equipped with
thermometer and fractionating column (180 mm
long, 25 mm O.D.) packed with porcelain beats (2.5
mm internal dia.). The reactor is heated with heating
mental. The reactor and fractionating column
equipped with thermometer. The temperature of the
packed column is changed according to the
temperature of the vapors product during the
reactions. The temperature range of gas and liquid
product leaving the packed column is measured by
using the thermocouple T2.
III RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Pyrolysis of Used palm oil was carried out in a
reactor fitted with a fractionating column. The still of
500 ml capacity i.e. served as a reactor and the
packed column above the still functions as a
separating unit. Runs were carried out with catalyst
such as sodium carbonate. 200 gm of feed of Used
palm oil was taken in the reactor and, to this,
required quantities of catalysts were added. The
concentration of sodium carbonate catalyst was
varied from 5% to 9% with intervals of 1% based on
feed stock employed. The condensate collected was
observed to contain two phases. The lower phase
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having density, ranging from 0.9704 to 0.9812
gm/ml which may be taken to be water. The upper
phase is hydrocarbon phase having density, ranging
from 0.7704 to 0.84 gm/ml for the different catalyst
concentration.
Effect of catalyst concentration on the various
properties of hydrocarbon phase with Na2CO3 as
a catalyst:
Density: On increasing in the catalyst concentration
from 5% to 9% density of the product was found to
decrease from o.84 to o.7704 gm/ml as shown in
table 1 and fig.1. That means the lighter fractions
concentration increased with increased in the catalyst
concentration.
Aniline point:
Aniline point of hydrocarbon phase was found to be
decreased from 63oC to 59.5oC with increase in the
concentration, after that it became approximately as
shown in table 1 and fig.2. This may be due to
aromatic content of hydrocarbon phase with increase
in catalyst concentration.
Viscosity:
Viscosity of hydrocarbon layers was found to
decrease from 1.524cSt to 1.454 cSt with increase in
catalyst concentration from 5 wt% to 9 wt% as
shown in Table 1 and fig.3. This may be due to
increase in lighter fractions with increased in catalyst
concentration.
Bromine number:
On increase in the catalyst concentration from 5% to
9% , Bromine no of the product was found to be
increased from 2.270 to 7.380 as shown in table 1
and fig..4. From this we can conclude that the
unsaturation percent in the hydrocarbon phase is
increased with increased in catalyst concentration.
From above discussion we can conclude that this
properties, Viz. Density, Aniline point and kinematic
viscosity are decreasing with increase in
concentration of the catalyst and bromine number is
increasing with increase in the catalyst concentration.
With increase in the catalyst concentration it appears
from Table 1 that aromatic content are increased
since aniline point decreases from 63oC to 59.5oC.
Table 1. Properties of cracked products in
fractionating pyrolysis reactor with Na2CO3 as a
catalyst
Sr Run Catalyst Density Aniline Viscosity Bromine
No. No. Conc.(wt%) (gm/ml) point (cSt) number
(oC)
1 2 5% 0.84 63 1.524 2.270
2 3 6% 0.805 62 1.512 2.478
3 4 7% 0.788 60 1.502 2.478
4 5 8% 0.7904 59.5 1.491 3.490
5 6 9% 0.784 60.5 1.454 6.470
 International Journal of Biotechnology, Chemical & Environmental Engineering (IJBCEE), Vol.1, (1), April 2012
ISSN 2278 – 0696
Fig. 1 : Effect of Catalyst Concentration on
Density of bio fuel
Fig. .2: Effect of Catalyst Concentration on
Aniline point Bio Fuel
CONCLUSION
From above discussion we can conclude that used
palm oil could be converted to liquid product
containing narrow boiling range hydrocarbons. The
experimental results shows that Maximum amount
of liquid hydrocarbon were observed using
fractionating column could be obtained in presence
of 9% Na2CO3 catalyst. The gas product increased
by increasing the catalyst concentration. it also
observed that the boiling range obtained by the use
of Na2CO3 catalyst is 90oC to 130oC. In essence we
can conclude as the prices of petroleum fractions
are increasing and depleting reservoir it is
necessary to find alternative source for petroleum
fraction and above study says that Used palm oil
Can be one of the promising alternative Source for
petroleum fuel in recent year.
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 International Journal of Biotechnology, Chemical & Environmental Engineering (IJBCEE), Vol.1, (1), April 2012
ISSN 2278 – 0696

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International Journal of Biotechnology, Chemical & Environmental Engineering (IJBCEE), Vol.1, (1), April 2012
ISSN 2278 – 0696

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