DEVELOPMENT OF CATALYST AND PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUELS (SAF)

• Main Author: Awnez Falihi, Hamzah
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85927
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Global aviation contributes 2.4% of carbon dioxide emissions and is projected to continue increasing until 2050. Indonesia has great potential in utilizing palm oil as a solution for the development of sustainable environmentally friendly fuels. There are 14.59 million hectares of palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Palm Kernel Oil (PKO) production reached 9.024 million tons in 2021. This research develops a metal-based catalyst for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from vegetable oil, particularly Palm Kernel Oil (PKO). The conversion process of PKO into SAF is carried out through hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and hydroisomerization or hydrocracking, using PdMo catalysts supported by ZSM-5 zeolite and beta zeolite as supports. Catalyst synthesis is conducted through the dry impregnation method and catalyst characterization is performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence, as well as Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) and N2 physisorption to determine the physical properties, composition, and reduction characteristics. The reaction test is conducted in a batch reactor at 320°C and 20 bar hydrogen pressure for 4 hours to maximize the selectivity of the produced hydrocarbons. The resulting oil product is analyzed with gas chromatography to ensure the hydrocarbon composition is within the C10–C14 range, suitable for jet fuel. This research focuses on the variation of Mo promoter addition and the determination of supports to improve conversion and selectivity in the hydrodeoxygenation reaction. The addition of the Mo promoter can increase conversion but decrease HDO selectivity. On the other hand, the use of ZSM-5 support with moderate acidity will support HDO reaction activity.