Gasoline-range hydrocarbon production using biomass derived synthesis gas over Mo/H+ZSM-5

Biomass-derived hydrocarbons that include gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel can help replace finite fossil fuel hydrocarbons of the same range. The objective of this study was to prove that gasoline-range hydrocarbons could be created from gasified woody biomass (producer gas) using thermochemical conversion with a Mo/H+ZSM-5 catalyst and compare these results to gasoline-range hydrocarbons created from contaminate-free synthesis gas (syngas). This study was also performed to help understand obstacles related to a scaled-up reactor system using a Mo/H+ZSM-5 catalyst with producer gas. The CO conversion, C selectivity and amount of product created from each type of gas were examined. Contaminate-free syngas composed of 40% H2, 20% CO, 12% CO2, 2% CH4, and 26% N2 (2:1 H2–CO) was used to test near ideal stoichiometric molar values comparable to producer gas for gas to liquid creation. Contaminate-free syngas composed of 19% H2, 20% CO, 12% CO2, 2% CH4, 47% N2 and producer gas composed of 19% H2, 20% CO, 12% CO2, 2% CH4, and 46% N2 was also used in this study to determine the feasibility of using gasified biomass syngas to produce gasoline-range hydrocarbons. The liquid hydrocarbon (organic phase) yield for the 2:1 syngas, 1:1 syngas and producer gas was 0.00844 ± 0.00315, 0.00327 ± 0.00101, and 0.00040 ± 0.00058%, respectively.