Nickel catalysts based on carbon-mineral supports derived from sapropel for hydroliquefaction of sapropel organic matter

[Display omitted] •Synthesis of bio-oil products by catalytic hydroliquefaction of sapropel.•Catalysts with the carbon-mineral support derived from sapropel.•Bimetallic NiCu and NiMo catalysts are more active than monometallic Ni catalysts.•The nature of support precursor affects the conversion and composition of liquid products. Carbon-mineral supports obtained by carbonization of sapropels were used to synthesize nickel-containing catalysts. A study was performed to reveal the effect of catalyst composition (the active metal and the support nature) on the catalytic hydroliquefaction of sapropel organic matter aimed to obtain liquid products used as fuels. This is the first study where both the material for catalytic transformations and the catalyst support were obtained from the same natural raw material (sapropel). Catalysts based on a support prepared from mineral-type sapropel showed higher activity compared to catalysts with a support prepared from organic sapropel both in the case of monometallic nickel systems and with the introduction of a second metal (molybdenum or copper). The liquid products of hydroliquefaction included predominantly the nitrogen- and oxygen-containing compounds (aliphatic and aromatic acids, phenols, cresols, alcohols, pyrazines, and pyridines). The nickel-copper catalyst with support based on mineral sapropel provided a deeper conversion of the organic matter of sapropel, with a hydrocarbon content of up to 30 wt%.