Zeolite-based cracking catalysts for bio-oil upgrading: A critical review

Fast pyrolysis of biomass is an attractive way to produce bio-oil since it can convert most of biomass components directly into liquid fuel. However, the bio-oils obtained from such a fast pyrolysis process always have highly complex oxygenated compounds with high viscosity, serious corrosivity, and rather instability. Thus, before the raw bio-oils are used as fuel or chemical feedstock, they must be upgraded, especially deoxygenated. Cracking of bio-oils over porous solid catalysts such as zeolite-based catalysts at ambient pressure is considered one of effective ways for the bio-oil upgrading, especially in which hydrogen gas is not necessary. Herein, zeolite-based catalysts (mainly HZSM-5 based catalysts) for the upgrading of pyrolysis bio-oils are critically reviewed. The effects of porous structure, acidity and other parameters including biomass type, biomass/catalyst ratio and operation temperature on cracking activity, selectivity, stability and deactivation are summarized. While, the proposed mechanisms on the bio-oil upgrading over the zeolite-based catalysts and the possibility for the application of the developed catalysts in the industrial process are discussed. Furthermore, the main strategies including metal modification, construction of zeolites with a hierarchical structure and synthesis of special morphologies with hollow structure or core/shell structure and nanosheet structures for the improvement of deoxygenation property performance are introduced. It is expected to provide a guidance for the design and fabricate more excellent zeolite-based catalysts and their application for high-quality bio-oil production from fast biomass pyrolysis.