Producing hybrid fuels by hydrotreating Jatropha curcas L. and gasoil mixtures in a batch reactor

The co-processing of Jatropha curcas L oil (JC) and gasoil in mixtures of 20:80 and 50:50 volume percentages, respectively, was carried out in a batch reactor by using a commercial NiMo/Al₂O₃ (5wt%) catalyst at 750 rpm, 70 bar of initial pressure and 80/100 mesh particle size. The effect of temperature (370-390 °C) at fixed reaction time of 4 h in the oxygen and sulfur removals were followed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Also we use simulated distillation to determine the boiling point distributions. It was found that 98 and 99 % conversions of vegetable oils were obtained for 20 and 50 vol% JC feedstocks and similar ∼ 83 and 87 % hydrodesulfuration (HDS) conversions for both fossil-vegetable mixtures at 380 and 390 °C. However at 370 °C the attained HDS conversion was more than 10% lower in mixture with 50 vol% JC. Regarding boiling point distributions, yields averaging 58 vol% and 70 vol% of cut with boiling range 157-343 °C, were obtained with 20 vol% and 50 vol% JC feed mixtures, respectively.