Activated carbon-supported catalysts for oil-to-hydrocarbon conversion: a review

Due to the increased global focus on sustainability and climate change mitigation, fossil fuel alternatives are sought after. Potential resources include the underutilized and waste Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) fiber from the palm oil processing mill, as well as other waste biomass. Through pyrolysis, this biomass may be degraded to create bio-oil, which can be utilized to create renewable energy and useful compounds. However, because of its high oxygen content, raw bio-oil is not suitable for direct use as fuel due to drawbacks including a low heating value, high viscosity, and corrosiveness. As a result, process improvements are crucial to increasing the quality of bio-oil. The function of NiO, MoO3, CoO, and NiO-MoO3 catalysts is supported by activated carbon in hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and catalytic deoxygenation, and these two essential procedures for the removal of atomic oxygen from bio-oil are reviewed in this paper. The effectiveness and selectivity of these upgrading processes are greatly influenced by the catalyst selection. Through the evaluation of different catalysts, this review aims to provide insights into the development of more sustainable and effective methods for converting bio-oil into valuable hydrocarbons that can be used as chemical feedstock or as fuels. This finding could have significant implications for both the development of renewable energy technology and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.