Advancing Sustainable Aviation: Bimetallic Co-Mo Catalysts for Bio-Jet Fuel Production from Sunflower and Waste Cooking Oils

Abstract

Co and Mo mono- and bimetallic catalysts supported on CNT-H-ZSM-5 composites were prepared and characterized using various techniques. The catalysts were evaluated for the conversion of sunflower oil (SO) into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) hydrocarbons in the C8-C16 range. The effects of reduction temperature and metal loading were the main parameters investigated in this study. The catalyst reduced at 600 degrees C promoted the formation of Mo2C species, resulting in high SO conversion (84%), complete deoxygenation, and enhanced isomerization within the C8-C16 fraction. Optimal metal loadings (2.5 wt% Co and 8 wt% Mo) and the bimetallic configuration led to superior performance compared with monometallic catalysts and physical mixtures, clearly highlighting a synergistic effect between Co and Mo species. In contrast, when waste cooking oil was used as feedstock, lower conversion and reduced selectivity toward SAF-range hydrocarbons were observed, which were attributed to the higher complexity and impurity content of this residue feedstock.