Microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of Chinese tallow kernel oil for aromatic production in a downdraft reactor

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of Chinese tallow kernel oil with silicon carbide (SiC)-foamed ceramic catalyst in a downdraft reactor was carried out in this study. In this paper, we studied the influence of catalytic temperature, catalyst-to-feed ratio, and feeding rate on product distribution and chemical components of bio-oil. The aromatic proportion reached a maximum value of 89.707 wt% when catalytic conditions were set as follows: 300 °C catalytic temperature, 1:2 catalyst/feedstock ratio, and 1 ml/min feed rate. Fourier-transform infrared spectra were consistent with the results obtained from gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Their outstanding thermal stability allowed SiC-foamed ceramics to perform well in five cycles of repeated experiments under optimal conditions. These results indicate that the SiC-foamed ceramics are promising catalysts for aromatic production in microwave-assisted pyrolysis of Chinese tallow kernel oil in a downdraft reactor. This pathway can also improve the application prospects of microwave pyrolysis technology.