RSM-OPTIMIZATION OF BIO-FUEL YIELD FROM FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING OF COCONUT SHELL PYROLYTIC OIL WITH VACUUM GAS OIL

Journal: Acta Chemica Malaysia (ACMY)
Author: Tochukwu K. T, Ezeugo J. O, Umeuzuegbu J. C, Ndive J. N, Ojike P. C, Ifediorah E. I
ISSN: 2576-6732
e-ISSN: 2576-6724

This is an open access journal distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

DOI: 10.26480/acmy.01.2026.32.40

This study optimizes the co-processing of coconut shell oil with vacuum gas oil (VGO) via fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) using response surface methodology (RSM). Coconut shells were characterized for its proximate, calorific value (HHV) and ultimate composition. The pyrolysis oil was produced from waste coconut shells via fast pyrolysis and characterised using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The physicochemical properties of the pyrolysed oil, including viscosity, acid value, saponification value, specific gravity, ester value, and pH, were determined. The oil was cracked with vacuum gas oil using the fluid catalytic cracking process to produce the biofuel, which was further characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). (RSM) Techniques were used to develop and optimise pyrolysis oil and biofuel yields among the considered factors (particle size, heating temperature, holding time, and reaction temperature) and (temperature, time, reactor riser, and dosage mixture), respectively. The proximate, calorific value (HHV) and ultimate analysis of the coconut shell, was determined as follows: moisture content 7.67%, volatile matter 66.1%, ash 1.4%, fixed carbon 24.8%, HHV 4339.85 kcal/kg, carbon 56.43%, hydrogen 4.16%, oxygen 37.51%, and nitrogen 0.48%. The pyrolysed oil shows a viscosity of 12.7 cP, a saponification value of 332.39 mg KOH/g, an ester value of 192.14 mg KOH/g, and an acid value of 140.25 mg KOH/g, demonstrating suitability but a high oxygenate content. The experimental and predicted yields for bio-oil was obtained at 62.35 and 64.12 wt% (particle size 1.5 mm, heating temp. 500 °C, holding time 60 min, reaction temp 550 °C) and for bio-fuel was obtained at 70.12 and 71wt%, under the operating parameters of temperature (500, 532℃), time (300, 228 min), reactor riser (30, 38 inches) and dosage mixture (0.5, 0.78). Quadratic models demonstrated excellent fit. The coefficient of determination (R2) for the pyrolysed oil and biofuel yields is 0.9914 and 0.9876, respectively. The quality of the model was investigated by analysis of variance (ANOVA).