The production of hydrocarbons in the gasoline and diesel range
was satisfactory in the hydrotreating of sunflower oil at 633 K and
a pressure of 5.0 MPa using -Mo2C/Al2O3 as catalyst.
The analysis of the results of activity and selectivity obtained at
different temperatures in the blank experiments allows to conclude
that under the experimental employed conditions the thermal
cracking of sunflower oil took place, regardless of the presence of
catalysts. While primary thermal cracking lead to the formation of
fatty acids through a -elimination mechanism, secondary cracking
lead to the formation of compounds with less than 15 carbon
atoms.
-Mo2C promotes de hydrogenation (deoxygenation) of the carboxylic
group of free fatty acids forming an alkane with the same
number of carbon atoms than the FFA and water molecule.