Co-processing potential of HTL bio-crude at petroleum refineries – Part 1: Fractional distillation and characterization. (1st February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hoffmann, Jessica; Jensen, Claus Uhrenholt; Rosendahl, Lasse A.
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 165(2016)
• Page Start: 526
• Page End: 535
• Publication Date: 2016-02-01
• Subjects: Hydrothermal liquefaction -- Fractional distillation -- Co-processing -- Biomass -- Bio-crude; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2015.10.094
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Abstract: This study presents detailed chemical and thermophysical analysis of bio-crude from a continuous hydrothermal liquefaction research plant. Current research on bio-crude focuses mainly on specific biomass feedstocks and conversion process conditions and resulting yields rather than on bio-crude properties for downstream processing. This study contributes to the next level of research, where HTL bio-crude is evaluated as a potential refinery co-processing feedstock with regard to bulk and fractional properties. The bio-crude used in the current work has been produced from a hardwood feedstock. Bio-crude assays, adapted from conventional crude oil assays, have been obtained, including fractionation of the bio-crude through 15:5 vacuum distillation. The bio-crude and its fractions have been analyzed with respect to heating value, elemental composition, density and oxygen-containing functional groups. Results show a highly promising bio-crude quality, with a higher heating value of 40.4 MJ/kg, elemental oxygen content of 5.3 wt.%, a specific gravity of 0.97 and a distillation recovery of ∼53.4 wt.% at an atmospheric equivalent temperature (AET) of 375 °C, . Results show that only minor upgrading is needed to achieve co-processing properties and to obtain a refinery bio-feed. This forms the basis for subsequent assessment of drop-in and co-processing potential and parametric upgrading trials of the bio-crude presented in part 2 of this work.