Hydrocracking Rubber Seeds Oil for Biofuel Production Using Bifunctional Sarulla-Derived Natural Zeolite–Ni and Ni–Mo/SNZ Catalyst

Rubber seeds, due to their rich vegetable oil content, emerge as a promising substrate for biofuel production. Harnessing the progressive catalytic hydrocracking methodology, this research delves into the activation of Sarulla-derived natural zeolite followed by Ni and Ni–Mo metal impregnation, subsequently subjecting rubber seed oil to hydrocracking at 400, 450, and 500 °C under atmospheric pressure at 0.1 MPa. Zeolite characteristics undergo notable transformations postmetal impregnation. Importantly, at 500 °C, gasoline fraction selectivity exhibits superior efficacy, with the Ni/SNZ-A catalyst demonstrating consistently high selectivity (>85%) across varied temperatures. Posthydrocracking reveals an amplification in n-paraffin, aromatic, olefin, and methyl ester profiles to 19.6%, 7.3%, 25.7%, and 17.7%, respectively, contrasting the diminution of cycloparaffin, carboxylic acid, and ketones to 3.6%, 0.2%, and 2.5%, respectively. The aforementioned discoveries hold significant importance in the realm of further investigation into the generation of gasoline fractions through the utilization of natural zeolite catalysts and the incorporation of metals with lower mass, all conducted under atmospheric pressure conditions with the ultimate objective of mitigating production expenses.