Biofuel production from catalytic cracking of palm oil

Palm oil is a potential alternative energy source, since it has long hydrocarbon chains which is quite similar to the hydrocarbon chains in fossil oil. Thus, palm oil can be processed to produce biofuel which may replace the non-renewable fossil fuels, such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil. During utilization, biofuel produces fewer pollutants than fossil fuel. Therefore, biofuel is safer and environmentally friendly. The research was conducted through a catalyst synthesis and the catalytic cracking process. HZSM-5 was synthesized using an Absorption Atomic Spectroscopy (AAS) which produced a synthesized HZSM-5 Si/Al 198. Brunauer Emmet Teller (BET) analysis showed that surface area of synthesized catalysts was 21.3524 m².g^-1 and the average pore size of the catalysts was 13 °A. This process confirmed that the synthesized catalysts meet the requirement as a catalyst used in the catalytic cracking process. The catalytic cracking was carried out in a fixed bed micro reactor at temperatures between 350 - 500 °C and N₂ flow rates between 100-160 ml.min^-1 for 120 min. It was found that at 450°C and N₂ flow rate of 100ml.min^-1resulted in the highest yield of gasoline fraction of 28.87%, 16.70% kerosene and 1.20%. diesel oil. The synthesized HZSM-5 catalysts meet the standard of a catalyst used in the catalytic cracking of vegetable oil to produce biofuel.