Mesoporous molecular sieves K2O/Ba(Ca or Mg)-MCM-41 with base sites as heterogeneous catalysts for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuel from catalytic cracking of rubber seed oil

Mesoporous molecular sieves K2O/Ba(Ca or Mg)-MCM-41, which feature basic sites, were prepared by the coordination effect of ion exchange and impregnation method under hydrothermal conditions, and used as heterogeneous catalysts for the cracking of rubber seed oil (RSO). The structure, base properties and catalytic performance were then studied in detail. The K2O/Ba(Ca or Mg)-MCM-41 exhibited higher catalytic performance than traditional base catalysts such as Na2CO3 and K2CO3. Moreover, the fuels generated from the cracking of RSO have similar chemical compositions to diesel-based fuels and low acid values. The cracking products with low acid values showed good cold flow properties, calorific values and good solubility in diesel oil at low temperature. At the same time, the K2O/Ba(Ca or Mg)-MCM-41 has excellent stability. The catalyst could be recycled and reused with negligible loss in activity over six cycles. The K2O/Ba(Ca or Mg)-MCM-41 is base- and water-tolerant and is an environmentally benign heterogeneous catalyst for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels from low quality feed stocks.