Catalytic conversion of microalgae and vegetable oils to premium gasoline, with shape-selective zeolites

A seminal paper by Mobil researchers in 1979 demonstrated that a remarkable range of materials were convertible to a similar, high-octane, aromatic, gasoline product slate when passed over HZSM-5, a medium-pore, shape-selective, acid catalyst. These materials ranged from low molecular weight oxygenates, such as methanol, to high molecular weight latexes and vegetable oils. In this paper, we briefly review the thermochemical conversion options for algal and vegetable lipids, present the potential advantages of the zeolite approach and consider the possibility of converting either the whole algae or vegetable oil seed, or crudely extracted lipids, to a product virtually indepedent of fatty acid composition of the lipid. Experimental data on pyrolysis, and on product slates and yields over H-ZSM5, are shown for rapeseed oil, tripalmitin and algal lipids. The pyrolyzer-catalytic reactor, and the ambient pressure, molecular beam, mass spectrometric analytical sampling system, are shown and briefly described.