Biodiesel fuel production methods

Abstract

This invention provides a method for producing biodiesel fuel, mainly composed of saturated hydrocarbons, using vegetable oils or animal fats as raw materials, under relatively mild conditions. [Solution] A method for producing biodiesel fuel from vegetable oil or animal fat, comprising: a decarboxylation step of removing carbon dioxide from ester groups of vegetable oil or animal fat using a decarboxylation catalyst to produce hydrocarbons; and a hydrogenation step of hydrogenating the obtained hydrocarbons using a hydrogenation catalyst to produce diesel fuel consisting of saturated hydrocarbons, wherein the decarboxylation step and the hydrogenation step are performed in this order, and the decarboxylation step and the hydrogenation step are performed under a pressure of 0.2 MPa or less.

Claims

1. A method for producing biodiesel fuel from vegetable oils or animal fats, A decarboxylation step in which carbon dioxide is removed from ester groups of vegetable oils or animal fats using a decarboxylation catalyst to produce hydrocarbons, The system includes a hydrogenation step in which hydrogen is added to the obtained hydrocarbon using a hydrogenation catalyst to produce diesel fuel consisting of saturated hydrocarbons, The decarbonation step and the hydrogenation step are carried out in this order. A method for producing biodiesel fuel, characterized in that each of the steps of the decarbonation step and the hydrogenation step is carried out under a pressure of 0.2 MPa or less.

2. The method for producing biodiesel fuel according to claim 1, characterized in that the decarboxylation catalyst has magnesium oxide or calcium oxide supported on the surface of a porous catalyst support and has basic surface activity.

3. The method for producing biodiesel fuel according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydrogenation catalyst is a catalyst on which nickel, molybdenum, palladium, iron, or a combination thereof is supported on the surface of a porous catalyst support.

4. The method for producing biodiesel fuel according to claim 1, characterized in that a cracking step is performed using a cracking catalyst after the hydrogenation step.

5. The method for producing biodiesel fuel according to claim 4, characterized in that the cracking catalyst is a zeolite and the process is carried out under a pressure of 0.2 MPa or less.