Kinetics of the Hydrodeoxygenation of Ethyl Ester of Decanoic Acid over the Ni–Cu–Mo/Al₂O₃ Catalyst

Abstract: The use of nickel-based catalysts in the hydrodeoxygenation of vegetable oils is an alternative to employing systems based on noble metals and sulfided hydrotreatment catalysts. Modifying nickel hydrodeoxygenation catalysts with molybdenum and copper increases the yield of target reaction products and the resistance of catalytic systems to the effect of an aggressive medium. The aim of this work is to determine the dependence between the temperature, contact time, and activity of modified nickel-containing catalyst in the hydrodeoxygenation of esters of fatty carboxylic acids and determine the effective kinetic parameters for the consumption of the reagent. The experiments are performed in a continuous flow reactor with a fixed catalyst bed at $${{P}_{{{{{\text{H}}}_{2}}}}}$$ = 0.25 MPa, temperatures of 270, 285, 300, and 315°C, and a contact time varying from 600 to 1800 s. The results show the selectivity toward the main reaction products (nonane and decane) remains the same when either the temperature of experiment or the contact time are varied. Experimental data are used to determine the effective rate constant and energy of activation of ester consumption.