E. Stashenko et al., CATALYTIC TRANSFORMATION OF COPAIBA (COPAIFERA-OFFICINALIS) OIL OVER ZEOLITE-ZSM-5, HRC. Journal of high resolution chromatography, 18(1), 1995, pp. 54-58
The oil extracted from the trunk of the copaiba tree (Copaifera offici
nalis) is composed of sesquiterpenes, C15H24, and a small amount (<7 %
) of sesquiterpenols, C15H26O; these were identified from their Kovats
indices and mass spectra. The use of zeolites in the catalytic transf
ormation of this renewable source of hydrocarbons is of interest in th
e search for new chemicals and ecologically clean fuels. Oil samples f
rom copaiba trees growing in Colombia's Oriental Plains were circulate
d over zeolite ZSM-5 in a continuous flow fixed-bed micro reactor at 2
25, 265, and 325 degrees C, for 1 h and subsequently analyzed by HRGC
and GC-MS. Whereas only thirty four sesquiterpenes were identified in
the original oil, over two hundred compounds were found in the product
of the treatment of copaiba oil with zeolite ZSM-5. This complex mixt
ure of sesquiterpenes, light aromatic compounds, and indene and naphth
alene derivatives resulted from reactions such as isomerization, hydro
genation, cracking, and dehydrogenation with and without cracking. The
amount of cracking products and aromatic compounds increased with rea
ctor temperature but decreased with catalyst aging.