Preparation and characterization of Mo₂N/Zr-MCM-41 catalyst and its performance in hydrodeoxygenation of Jatropha curcas oil

MCM-41 and Zr-MCM-41 with different initial n(Si)/n(Zr) ratios were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Mo₂N/Zr-MCM-41 hydrodeoxygenation catalysts were prepared by (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄ carrier co-impregnation, calaination, temperature programing and nitridation, and characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM and Py-FTIR methods. The catalytic performance of Mo₂N/Zr-MCM-41 in hydrodeoxygenation of Jatropha curcas oil was evaluated in a high pressure reactor. The results indicate that Zr modified carrier has the same pore structure as pure silicon MCM-41, and the value of L acid and B acid increases. As the active component, the Mo₂N has an excellent HDO performance. Under the reaction temperature of 350℃ and the hydrogen pressure of 3.0 MPa, the catalyzed product oil is mainly composed of straight chain alkanes and aromatic compounds, accounting for more than 90% of the product components. The deoxygenation rates of the new catalysts with different n(Si)/n(Zr) ratios are all above 98%, and the content of aromatic compounds is higher than that of straight chain alkanes, which accounts for 72.09% of the total composition. The aromatic compounds are mainly single ring and bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with the length of carbon chain of C_8-16. After the leprosy oils catalyzed by Mo₂N/Zr-MCM-41 are fractionated, it can be prepared to be biofuels.