The upgrading of plant-based oils to liquid transportation fuels through the hydrotreating process has become the most attractive and promising technical pathway for producing biofuels. This work produced bio-jet fuel (C₉–C₁₄ hydrocarbons) from palm olein oil through hydrocracking over varied metal phosphide supported on porous biochar catalysts. Relative metal phosphide catalysts were investigated for the highest performance for bio-jet fuel production. The palm oil’s fiber-derived porous biochar (PFC) revealed its high potential as a catalyst supporter. A series of PFC-supported cobalt, nickel, iron, and molybdenum metal phosphides (Co-P/PFC, Ni-P/PFC, Fe-P/PFC, and Mo-P/PFC) catalysts with a metal-loading content of 10 wt.% were synthesized by wet-impregnation and a reduction process. The performance of the prepared catalysts was tested for palm oil hydrocracking in a trickle-bed continuous flow reactor under fixed conditions; a reaction temperature of 420 °C, LHSV of 1 h⁻¹, and H₂ pressure of 50 bar was found. The Fe-P/PFC catalyst represented the highest hydrocracking performance based on 100% conversion with 94.6% bio-jet selectivity due to its higher active phase dispersion along with high acidity, which is higher than other synthesized catalysts. Moreover, the Fe-P/PFC catalyst was found to be the most selective to C₉ (35.4%) and C₁₀ (37.6%) hydrocarbons.

Water hyacinth (Wh) is an aquatic weed considered a nuisance in agricultural and fishing activities. Therefore, this study proposed repurposing this plant into activated carbon (AC). First, the ZnO-AC was precipitated and applied as a photocatalyst for degrading methylene blue. The preliminary photocatalytic test under UV irradiation identified the optimum ZnO-AC photocatalyst to degrade methylene blue (MB). The ZnO-AC photocatalyst recorded the highest degradation rate constant of 11.49 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹, which was almost two-fold higher than that of ZnO (5.55 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹). Furthermore, photocatalytic degradation of MB and carbaryl under sunlight irradiation by ZnO-AC demonstrated degradation rate constants of 74.46 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹ and 8.43 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹, respectively. To investigate the properties of ZnO-AC, several techniques were performed. ZnO-AC and ZnO exhibited similar results in morphology, crystalline structure, and Raman characteristics. However, ZnO-AC presented smaller pore diameters than those of ZnO, which enlarged pore surface area, and the presence of carbon-related groups implied the presence of AC on ZnO-AC surfaces. This can be attributed to the presence of AC on the ZnO surface, increasing the capture of surrounding toxic molecules and elevating the reaction density. This mechanism is attributed to promoting the degradation of toxic molecules. Therefore, using Wh as a carbon source for the transformation of AC can alternatively solve the problems of aquatic weed management and carbon storage strategies, and the application of AC in ZnO-AC photocatalysts can enhance photocatalysis.

The co-combustion characteristics and kinetics of torrefied sugarcane bagasse (TB), lignite (L), and their blended samples were experimentally investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG)based on the Coats-Redfern method for kinetic estimation.Their physicochemical properties were also investigated.Raw bagasse was thermally treated in a laboratory-scale torrefactor at 275 °C with a torrefaction time of 60 min under an inert nitrogen environment.Then, the torrefied bagasse was blended with Thai lignite as a co-fuel at ratios of 50:50 (TB50L50), 70;30(TB70L30), and 90:10 (TB90L10), respectively. Torrefaction improved the fuel properties and heating value of the raw bagasse as well as reducing the O/C and H/C ratios.In addition, the blending of torrefied bagasse with lignite improved the combustion behavior.The TGA and DTG results indicated that the ignition and burnout temperatures stepped downwards with different increasing ratios of torrefied bagasse.The co-combustion behavior at the maximum burning rate showed that the burnout temperatures of TB50L50, TB70L30, and TB90L10 were 532, 529, and 528 °C, respectively, indicating a slight decrease with an increasing torrefied bagasse blending ratio.These results were sufficient to provide comprehensive guidelines in terms of the design and operation of the combustion system for adding torrefied bagasse into the co-firing process.