a b s t r a c t
Continuous gas phase deoxygenation of oleic acid in the presence of hydrogen employing a granular 2 wt%
Pd/C catalyst was investigated under solvent free conditions. Conversion of oleic acid and selectivity to the
desired diesel-like C17 hydrocarbons heptadecane and heptadecenes was studied at different reaction
conditions such as temperature, gas flow and catalyst amount. The best hydrocarbon yield was achieved
with low reaction temperatures, high catalyst amounts and high hydrogen flows. To further decrease the
reaction temperature but yet maintain a pure gas phase reaction, reactions were conducted in vacuum.
Furthermore, water was added in varying amounts to support desorption and to determine if catalyst
deactivation could be overcome. The deoxygenation catalyst was characterized by nitrogen adsorption
isotherms (BET; Brunauer–Emmet–Teller method), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric
analysis (TGA) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM).
© 2011 Elsevier