LAUSR

Anisole hydrodeoxygenation over a nonsulfided CoMo/Al2O3 catalyst was investigated as a model reaction for fast pyrolysis oil upgrading. Intrinsic kinetic data have been acquired in a gas-phase plug-flow reactor at temperatures ranging from 548 to 623 K, a total pressure amounting to 0.5 MPa, a space time between 95 and 400 kgcat s molanisole–1, and a hydrogen to anisole molar ratio from 50 to 400. A minimum of 16 h on stream stable anisole conversion was observed. The catalyst mainly exhibited anisole demethylation and phenol methylation to cresol, rather than hydrogenation or hydrodeoxygenation. Demethylation and isomerization reactions are followed by hydrodeoxygenation. Additionally, cresol is formed via phenol methylation. Rival mechanisms were proposed, and corresponding Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson elementary step based kinetic models were derived. Each of the proposed models accounted for the interaction of the species with the catalyst surface as well as for the surface reactions. For each ...