Non-catalytic cracking of jojoba oil to produce fuel and chemical by-products

Thermal non-catalytic cracking of jojoba oil, a non-triacylglyceride-based wax produced by the desert plant, Simmondsia chinensis, was compared to that of triacylglyceride-based soybean oil. Optimum liquid product yield was produced at a higher temperature for jojoba oil compared to soybean oil but at similar reaction pressure and residence time. At optimum conditions, jojoba oil generated a similar gas phase fraction as soybean oil while the liquid product contained a smaller quantity of undesirable polyaromatic and non-GC-elutable (low volatility high-MW) products, with nearly 90% of the cracking liquid product being GC quantifiable. This product included a mixture of linear saturated short-chain fatty acids whose size distribution peaked at C _10. It also included alkanes (predominantly linear) that peaked at C ₇-C ₈, and smaller concentrations of alkenes, aromatics, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, jojoba oil is an excellent renewable feedstock for the production of replacements for petroleum-derived transportation fuels and chemicals.