Catalytic bio-oil upgrading using Fe-Co/Al₂O₃ and co-processing with vacuum gas oil

The current study explores the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of pine sawdust derived pyrolysis bio-oil and co-processing of raw bio-oil with Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO) in a micro-activity testing (MAT) unit. The catalytic performance of mono- and bi-metallic catalysts were tested for bio-oil upgrading. Notably, Fe[sbnd]Co (2:1)/Al2O3 catalysts exhibited superior HDO activity compared to their mono-metallic counterparts. Co-processing of raw bio-oil (2–10 wt%) with VGO led to a notable increase in gasoline yield of ∼48% with a 6 wt% blend. Maximum conversion was achieved with 8 wt% blend, further increasing the proportion, conversion decreased significantly affecting the product distribution.