Conversion of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) to bio-paraffins and further to bio-olefins offers a potential solution to the emerging problems in the biodiesel industry due to the collapse of world oil prices. NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst prepared via an impregnation method was evaluated in the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of FAMEs to bio-paraffins. The obtained paraffins were used as feedstocks to produce bio-olefins via steam cracking. The presulfided NiMo/Al2O3 converted the saturated FAMEs selectively to paraffins

without observable changes in the catalyst structure after reaction for 1000 h. Under the cracking conditions of coil-out temperature and pressure at 810℃ and 0.10 MPa

residence time at 0.23 s

and mass ratio of water to paraffins at 0.75

the yields of ethylene

propylene and butadiene were 36.30%

18.14% and 7.46%

respectively. These data were much higher than the values of 27.45%

14.74% and 5.31% obtained with naphtha as feedstocks under the similar conditions

indicating that bio-paraffins derived from FAMEs are alternative feedstocks for light olefins.