Palladium supported on clays to catalytic deoxygenation of soybean fatty acids

This work aims at the soybean free fatty acid deoxygenation using palladium supported (1 wt.%) on different clays as catalysts. The results presented a promising technology for the single-stage production of hydrocarbons in the diesel fuel range. Clays used as palladium support were a natural Brazilian Montmorillonite (BM), this same clay in its pillared form (PILCBM) and two commercial clays (K10 and KSF). Catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectra of adsorbed pyridine, CO chemisorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Reactions were carried out in batch mode, under different H2 pressures (10, 20, 30 and 40 bar) at 300 °C. Reactions performed using Pd/K10 as catalyst at 30 bar of H2 presented interesting results: 74.5% conversion after 6 h and selectivities to n- and i-alkanes equal to 69% and 29%, respectively.