Gasoline-like hydrocarbons by catalytic cracking of soap phase residue of neutralization process of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq)

Abstract In this work, the soap phase residue of neutralization process of palm oil ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq) submitted to catalytic cracking to produce gasoline-like hydrocarbons fuels. The cracking reaction carried out in a stirred tank reactor of 143 L, operating in batch mode at 440 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using 15% (wt.) Na 2 CO 3 as catalyst. The organic liquid products (OLP) yield 71.34% (wt.) with an acid value of 1.07 mg KOH/g and kinematic viscosity of 1.90 mm 2 s − 1 , matching sulfur content, copper strip corrosion, flash point, viscosity and density of ANP (Brazilian Petroleum Agency) N° 65 for diesel S10. The distillation of OLP carried out in laboratory scale according to the boiling temperature range of fossil fuels, yielding 6.69% (wt.) gasoline, 12.77% (wt.) kerosene, 15.52% (wt.) light diesel, and 38.02% heavy diesel-like hydrocarbons fuels, showing that Na 2 CO 3 was more selective to convert salts of carboxylic acids into diesel-like hydrocarbons fuels. The GC–MS analysis showed that OLP is composed by 91.59% (wt.) hydrocarbons and 8.41% (wt.) oxygenates. The gasoline-like hydrocarbons fraction composed by 100% hydrocarbons with an acid value of 1.69 mg KOH/g and kinematic viscosity of 0.83 mm 2 s −1 , matches many physicochemical parameters of ANP N° 40 for gasoline A, proving the technical feasibility of catalytic cracking process.