DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.20693

Efficient Deoxygenation of Palm Oil to Green Diesel Using a Metal Oxide Catalysts Supported on ZrO2-Enhanced Graphene Oxide

1Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah 61004, Iraq

2Catalyst Science and Technology Research Center, Faculty of Science, University Putra Malaysia, Jl. Universiti 1. UPM Serdang, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia

3Institute of Plantation Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jl. Universiti 1. UPM Serdang, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 26 Mar 2026; Revised: 24 May 2026; Accepted: 30 May 2026; Available online: 30 Jun 2026; Published: 30 Oct 2026.
Editor(s): Bunjerd Jongsomjit
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract

NiO, Fe2O3, and bimetallic oxide NiFe2O4 catalysts supported on graphene oxide and promoted with ZrO2 were synthesized via wet-impregnation approach. A systematic characterization of the catalysts physicochemical properties was evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Temperature -programmed desorption CO2 (TPD-CO2), Brunaur-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, Field emission Scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Their catalytic performance was employed as a heterogeneous catalyst in the deoxygenation reaction (DO) of palm oil for green diesel production under varying conditions. The Fe2O3/ZrO2-GO catalyst (calcined at 400 oC, for 4 hours, and 5wt% catalyst loading) demonstrated superior activity, achieving a maximum hydrocarbon yield HC% of 98.0 %, bio-jet fuel BJF selectivity of 40 %, and Kerosene yield of 86 %. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited significant stability and reusability over four consecutive reaction cycles, retaining (92 %) hydrocarbon yield, (80.9 %) kerosene yield, with an increased BJF selectivity to 84%. The decrease in HC yield resulted from carbon deposition, pore blockage, and degradation of the mesoporous network.

 

Keywords: Renewable diesel; metallic oxide; Deoxygenation; Palm oil; Bio-Jet-Fuel; BET; Graphene oxide

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