Natural minerals as potential catalysts for the pyrolysis of date kernels: effect of catalysts on products yield and bio-oil quality

An increasing attention is being paid for the production of bio-oil especially in the countries that suffer from the lack of energy resources such as Jordan. The aim of this study is to investigate the catalytic effect of Jordanian minerals on the pyrolysis of date kernels. Experiments are carried out in a lab-scale externally heated-tubular reactor. The experiments are conducted at a fixed catalyst-to-feed ratio at 5 wt%, heating rate of 100°C/min and a final temperature of 500°C. The study investigated the performance of the considered catalysts on pyrolytic product yields and bio-oil quality. Results showed that oil shale ash produced the highest bio-oil yield (44.0 wt%), and zeolitic tuff produced the highest gas yield (138.1 ml/g-feed). The investigated catalysts altered the chemical composition of bio-oil. The produced bio-oil when using the zeolitic tuff as a catalyst possessed the best properties in terms of acidity and stability.