From August 31 to September 5, the REFOLUTION project took part in EuropaCat 2025 in Trondheim, Norway. This was the 16th European Congress on Catalysis, held under the auspices of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies (EFCATS) and organized as a joint effort by the Nordic Catalysis Societies.
The event provided an opportunity to present a poster and delve into the topic of “Hydroprocessing of stabilized pyrolysis oils at moderate pressure.”
Our colleague Nikolaos Tsakoumis from SINTEF presented the background and motivation behind the research, discussed the materials and methodologies used, and shared the key results of the study.
Bio-oils from fast pyrolysis of biobased feedstocks are rich in oxygenates and unsaturated compounds, making them chemically unstable. A mild hydrogenation step, known as stabilization, is typically applied prior to more severe hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) treatments.
The objective is to assess the technical feasibility of performing HDO on stabilized pyrolysis oil (SPO) under moderate conditions, using both commercial and in-house catalysts.
Methodology
Three NiMoS-based catalysts (two commercial, one in-house on SiO₂) were tested in a multi-zone fixed-bed reactor at 50 bar H₂ and 340–380 °C (LHSV ~1 h⁻¹). Products were analyzed via gas and liquid chromatography, as well as physical property testing (oxygen content, density, distillation, etc.).
Key Results
The process yielded a two-phase product: a deoxygenated oil and a separate water phase.
HDO at semi-pilot scale was successfully demonstrated.
A multi-zone temperature profile minimized undesired side reactions.
A commercial NiMoS/Al₂O₃ catalyst reduced oxygen content from ~37 wt.% to <4 wt.% in the final oil phase.
Conclusion:
Effective one-step upgrading of SPO is achievable under industrially relevant conditions, supporting its potential integration in biofuel production chains.
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