Date of Award
12-2026
Degree Type
Report
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Engineering
Committee Chair(s)
Foster A. Agblevor
Committee
Foster A. Agblevor
Committee
Ronald Sims
Committee
Keith Roper
Committee
Tom Chang
Committee
Luguang Wang
Abstract
Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) was investigated as an upgrading route for bio-oil derived from the pyrolysis of Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), with the goal of producing a liquid fuel product suitable for blending with petroleum diesel. Three catalysts were evaluated in a batch reactor under identical process conditions: a commercial nickel-silica-alumina catalyst and two synthesized catalysts, a calcined iron tailing formulation (CIT) and a calcined red mud formulation (CRM). All three catalysts converted SYP bio-oil into an organic-phase product with substantially reduced oxygen content, reduced viscosity, and a higher heating value (HHV) comparable to petroleum diesel. The CRM catalyst produced the highest organic phase yield (62.7%) of the three catalysts, while the commercial nickel catalyst produced the highest HHV (43.9 MJ/kg), the lowest residual oxygen content (1.13 wt%), the lowest dynamic viscosity (0.807 cP), and operated at the lowest peak reactor pressure. Gas-phase analysis showed that methane was the dominant gaseous product for all three catalysts, with negligible carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. In a second study, HDO oils produced with the commercial nickel catalyst and the CRM catalyst, both from SYP feedstock, were blended with petroleum diesel at concentrations ranging from 1% to 20% by volume. All blends formed homogeneous, single-phase mixtures with no phase separation, color change, or sedimentation observed at any concentration tested. Viscosity decreased and remained within acceptable ranges as blend concentration increased, while density and HHV remained close to those of pure diesel across all blend ratios. These results indicate that SYP-derived HDO oil, regardless of which of the two catalysts was used to produce it, is fully miscible with diesel fuel and can be blended at concentrations up to at least 20% without compromising key fuel properties, supporting its potential as a renewable diesel additive.
Recommended Citation
Valiasil, Eisa, "Hydrodeoxygenation of Southern Yellow Pine Bio-Oil and Diesel Blending: Catalyst Performance Evaluation and Fuel Property Assessment" (2026). All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present. 183.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports2023/183
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Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons, Biological Engineering Commons, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Commons, Petroleum Engineering Commons
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