H2 and bio-fuels production from renewable feedstocks

Abstract

The present invention discloses a catalytic process for the manufacture of hydrogen and hydrocarbons simultaneously in the same reactor from renewable source, i.e. lipids, glycerides and fatty acids from plant, animal or algae oil, where in the multiple unsaturations in the renewable feedstock and the catalytic intermediates produced in the process from renewable feedstock is converted catalytically using simultaneous combination of in-situ occurring reactions. These in-situ occurring reactions are simultaneous combination of hydroconversion, reforming and water gas shift reactions wherein the reaction is performed in the presence of one or more metal sulfides form of metals of Group VI and/or Group IX and/or Group X elements, specifically comprises of one or more active metal combinations such as Co, W, Mo, Ni, P, with Pt, Pd encapsulated inside sodalite cages for prevention against poisoning from sulfur based compounds. The hydroconversion comprises of reactions in presence of hydrogen such as hydrocracking, dehydrogenation, dehydrocyclization, hydrodeoxygenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, cyclization and aromatization reactions. The catalyst along with the active metals also includes porous silica-alumina, zeolite, silica, alumina, silicoaluminophosphates or a combination of two or more thereof used as support for the above said process. These catalysts are loaded in a graded beds (two or more beds of different catalyst mixtures) or simultaneously (mixture of different catalyst systems) and reacted specifically at lower temperatures than the steam reforming conditions i.e. at pressure from 10 to 150 atmosphere, average temperature of the catalytic bed from 250° C. to 500° C., space-velocity of from 0.5 hto 8 h, and hydrogen to feed ratio of from 300 NL of hydrogen/L of feed to 3500 NL hydrogen/L of feed. Initially hydrogen gas is supplied for conversion of the renewable feed stocks, as the reaction process the hydrogen consumed during the conversion of plant, animal or algae oil into hydrocarbons is balanced from the in-situ reactions such as reforming, dehydrogenation, water gas shift etc occurring during the same process. This production of hydrogen makes the entire process refinery independent and more economical and sustainable. Along with hydrogen the renewable feed stock is also converted into hydrocarbons ranging between C1-C24 carbon number, comprising of n-paraffins, isoparaffins, cyclo paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics and polynuclear aromatics.