Microwave-Assisted Liquefaction of Ulva prolifera over Fe2O3-Modified HY Catalyst

Abstract

The microwave-assisted liquefaction of Ulva prolifera under atmospheric pressure conditions was investigated for an Fe species–modified HY catalyst. The characterization of Fe/HY confirmed that the Fe species existed in the form of Fe2O3 and that the framework of HY remained intact. It was also found that the doped Fe2O3 distinctly enhanced the total acid sites of the catalyst and thus increased the bio-oil yield from 40.6 to 52.6%. The GC-MS results demonstrated that the application of the Fe2O3/HY solid catalysts facilitated the production of long-chain compounds (octadecanoic acid methyl ester and hexadecyl ester), thus leading to a distinct decrease in the oxygen content of the bio-fuel. Therefore, the obtained Fe2O3-modified HY exhibits the potential for bio-fuel production from Ulva prolifera.