a b s t r a c t
The effects of varying reaction parameters on the hydrotreatment of soybean oil using Ni and CoMoSx catalysts
were investigated. The reactions were carried out in both batch and continuous reactors, at reaction
temperatures of 300–440 C, and hydrogen pressures of 2.5–15.0 MPa. The effects on hydrotreating
conversion, gasoline/jet/diesel selectivity, and the degree of oxygen removal were investigated, to find
optimum hydrotreatment conditions using both types of catalysts. Analyses of liquid composition, using
comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC GC–TOFMS)
and GC-flame ionization detection (FID), revealed that decarboxylation, decarbonylation, and hydrodeoxygenation
reactions occurred competitively, and that each reaction pathway had different optimal
conditions, as expected from the thermodynamic characteristics. The differences in the hydrotreatment
reaction, liquid product compositions, and dominant reaction pathways between the batch and continuous
reactions are also discussed.