Optimizing Pre-treatment: Tackling Low CI Feedstocks Impurities in Renewable Fuel Production with High-Performance Adsorbents

The urgent global demand for renewable fuels—particularly in the U.S., driven by the SAF Grand Challenge goal of producing 3 billion gallons annually by 2030—is accelerating the development of diverse production technologies. Lipids, such as oils and fats, traditionally utilized in edible oil production, are increasingly being repurposed as critical feedstocks for renewable fuels. While Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) technology—a hydrogenation process that converts lipids such as oils and fats into high-quality renewable fuels—has reached commercial maturity for renewable diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production, the industry faces a critical challenge: securing sustainable feedstock sources. Traditional feedstocks, such as canola and soy, which are widely used in both edible oil and renewable fuel production, are associated with higher carbon intensity when cultivated using conventional farming practices.

This challenge has prompted a shift toward promising alternatives, including used cooking oil, distiller’s corn oil, waste animal fats, and cover crops, which are abundant and rich in lipids. However, these feedstocks often contain challenging impurities that must be addressed through advanced purification technologies. Current methods include physical filtration, chemical treatment, and processes like bleaching, degumming, and deacidification. Despite these measures, impurities continue to undermine hydrotreatment catalyst performance and longevity.

This research evaluates pretreatment solutions by focusing on the optimization of various process conditions and adsorbent technologies to challenge the status quo. The findings demonstrate that process optimization, including the selection of high-performance adsorbents (particularly selectively activated attapulgite), is necessary to achieve superior contaminant removal through targeted adsorption across diverse feedstocks and operating conditions. This approach not only protects catalysts but also reduces environmental impact, delivering significant economic benefits in renewable fuel production while supporting the SAF Grand Challenge objectives.