EFFECTS OF ACID AND ALKALI ADDED IN HIGH- PRESSURE OIL CONVERSION OF SUGARCANE VINASSE

Vinasse, a residue froin distillation of alcohol-fermented sugar-cane juice, was converted into oil by heating at 300-degrees-C in a bomb-ty pe batch reactor with argon or high-pressure water with/without the ad dition of, separately, Na2CO3, H2SO4, zeolites and FCC catalyst. The h ighest oil conversion (24.5wt%) was obtained by the pyrolysis of dried vinasse in the argon atmosphere. For high-pressure conversion of aque ous vinasse, the presence of H2SO4 increased oil yield, while that of Na2CO3 decreased it. The addition of FCC catalyst was found to increas e low-molecular weight components and decrease S and N contents in the oil. FCC catalyst was considered effective in the high-pressure oil c onversion of aqueous vinasse.