Chemoselective decarboxylation of ceiba oil to diesel-range alkanes over a red mud based catalyst under H 2 -free conditions.

Concerns over global greenhouse gas emissions such as CO x and NO x as well as the depletion of petroleum fossil resources have motivated humankind to seek an alternative energy source known as green diesel. In this study, green diesel was produced via a deoxygenation (DO) reaction of ceiba oil under a H 2 -free atmosphere over Ni modified red mud-based catalysts, which have been synthesized via a precipitation - deep-deposition assisted autoclave method. The obtained catalyst was further characterized by XRF, XRD, BET, FTIR, TPD-NH 3 , FESEM, and TGA. Based on the catalytic activity test, all Ni/RMO x catalysts facilitated greater DO activity by yielding 83-86% hydrocarbon yield and 70-85% saturated diesel n -(C 15 + C 17 ) selectivity. Ni/RMO 3 was the best catalyst for deoxygenizing the ceiba oil owing to the existence of a high acidic strength (12717.3 μmol g -1 ) and synergistic interaction between Fe-O and Ni-O species, thereby producing the highest hydrocarbon yield (86%) and n -(C 15 + C 17 ) selectivity (85%). According to the reusability study, the Ni/RMO 3 could be reused for up to six consecutive runs with hydrocarbon yields ranging from 53% to 83% and n -(C 15 + C 17 ) selectivity ranging from 62% to 83%.