AQP Bio upgrades pyrolysis oils, HTL bio-oils, and waste-derived feedstocks into stable, refinery-ready intermediates. The Olympia family and other proprietary catalyst bed combinations operate in a hydrotreating environment supplied by on-site hydrogen. No external hydrogen infrastructure. No dewatering step.
*Based on published data.
AQP Bio is a catalytic upgrading system purpose-built for oxygen-rich, water-laden bio-oils that conventional sulfide catalysts cannot process at scale. It applies the Olympia family and other proprietary catalyst bed combinations developed by NanosTech in a fixed-bed hydrotreating environment, performing deep deoxygenation, hydrodesulfurization, and TAN elimination in a single pass. On-site hydrogen is supplied through a low-energy process-gas reforming step, eliminating the need for external hydrogen supply or large infrastructure.
The result is a stable, refinery-miscible intermediate compatible with conventional hydrotreaters, enabling production of renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and marine fuels from feedstocks previously considered too difficult to process commercially.
AQP Bio is under active development. NanosTech is seeking partners ready to lead deployment with us as the technology advances toward commercial scale.
AQP Bio runs on the Olympia family of catalysts, combined with other proprietary catalyst bed formulations developed by NanosTech. The core chemistry is a nano-engineered transition metal carbide formulation. It is inherently sulfur-free, requires no sulfiding activation, and maintains stability under high-water, high-oxygen conditions where conventional sulfide catalysts deactivate within 48 hours. AQP Bio is under active development, advancing from pilot-scale validation toward industrial production at NanosTech's Calgary facility.
| Catalyst property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | Fixed-bed, hydrotreating |
| Active phase | Transition metal carbide |
| Sulfiding required | No |
| Water tolerance | Up to 50% water in feed |
| TAN elimination | Yes (output TAN = 0.0) |
| Validated runtime | Surpasses 48-hour industry runtime by days. No deactivation. |
| Production status | Industrial scale, Calgary AB |
| Accepted feedstocks | Suitability |
|---|---|
| Fast pyrolysis oils (forestry, biomass) | Tested |
| HTL bio-oils (dairy, algae, municipal) | Tested |
| Waste tire oil | Tested |
| Aqueous sugar syrup (biomass-derived) | Tested |
| High-oxygen bio-crudes (>40% O) | Tested |
| Mixed waste-derived oils | Possible |
| Municipal biosolids | Tested |
| Co-processed renewable + fossil feedstocks | Possible |
AQP Bio has been validated across eight distinct bio-oil feedstock classes, all with positive results, including the longest continuous run reported in published data. The results below are from laboratory and pilot-scale testing. Each feedstock represents a class that conventional sulfide-based catalysts cannot process at commercial scale due to rapid deactivation from water and oxygen exposure.
| Parameter | Feed | Product |
|---|---|---|
| TAN (mg KOH/g) | 84 | 0 |
| Oxygen (wt%) | 51% | 2.7% |
| Water content (wt%) | 25% | 0% |
| Density (g/ml) | 1.30 | 0.95 |
| Parameter | Feed | Product |
|---|---|---|
| TAN (mg KOH/g) | 0.55 | 0 |
| Nitrogen (wt%) | 7.74% | 2.03% |
| Viscosity (cSt) | 52.7 | 10.12 |
| Density (g/ml) | 1.001 | 0.941 |
| MCR (wt%) | 4.44% | 0.6% |
| Sulfur (ppm) | 9,734 | 1,778 |
| Parameter | Feed | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfur removal | High sulfur, high nitrogen | >80% removal |
| TAN | Elevated | 0 |
| Stability | Difficult feedstock | Stable, refinery-ready |
| Parameter | Feed | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Water content (wt%) | 25% | 0% |
| Oxygen (wt%) | 51% | 2.7% |
| TAN (mg KOH/g) | Elevated | 0 |
| Primary output | Unusable bio-oil | 65% diesel-range yield |
| Parameter | Sulfide catalysts | AQP Bio (Olympia Family) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water tolerance | Deactivates 40–60% faster in water-rich feeds | Processes up to 50% water without deactivation | Bio-oils from pyrolysis and HTL carry 15–50% water by weight |
| Sulfiding requirement | Requires constant sulfiding; degrades in non-sulfur feeds | No sulfiding required at any stage | Eliminates H₂S emissions and amine plant requirements |
| Oxygen handling | Rapid deactivation above 15% oxygen | Validated to 51% oxygen feed, output below 3% | Pyrolysis oils routinely carry 40–55% oxygen |
| Continuous runtime | Deactivates within 48 hours on high-moisture feeds | 1,896 hours validated on forestry pyrolysis oil | Commercial viability requires sustained multi-week runs |
| External hydrogen | Requires SMR or pipeline hydrogen supply | On-site generation from process gas, no SMR | Eliminates the largest infrastructure barrier to deployment at source |
| Dewatering step | Required before processing | Not required. Feed taken as-is. | Dewatering destroys biogenic carbon. AQP Bio converts all of it. |
Deactivation data for sulfide catalysts is from published literature. AQP Bio runtime data is from NanosTech laboratory and pilot testing. Full data available on request.
AQP Bio converts waste-derived bio-oils into three commercially valuable output streams. The product slate depends on feedstock composition and operating conditions. The values below are representative of a forestry pyrolysis oil or HTL bio-oil feed.
| Output product | Specification | Market pathway | Value driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable diesel | Low oxygen, low TAN, refinery-miscible | Road transport, export blending | Highest volume product |
| Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) precursor | Deoxygenated, stable, low acidity | SAF pathway via refinery hydrotreater | Premium price product |
| Marine fuel intermediate | Low sulfur, low TAN | Bunker fuel blending | Low-carbon marine market |
| Upgraded naphtha fraction | Light end, deoxygenated | Blendstock or further refining | Carbon recovery from waste |
The renewable fuels sector has been constrained by a single barrier: pyrolysis oils and HTL bio-oils cannot be processed in conventional refineries. Their high oxygen content, water loading, chemical instability, and tendency to poison catalysts have blocked commercial access to refining markets. AQP Bio removes that barrier.
NanosTech is actively seeking additional feedstock, technology, and offtake partners across the pyrolysis, HTL, and waste-oil value chains to expand AQP Bio deployment beyond this pathway.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Non-sulfided catalyst system | Eliminates sulfiding agents and H₂S formation throughout the process. No amine plant, no sulfur recovery unit. |
| No external hydrogen supply | Hydrogen is generated on-site from process gas at low energy cost. No dependence on steam methane reforming or hydrogen trucking. |
| No dewatering step | Feed is taken as-is. Eliminating dewatering preserves biogenic carbon and reduces energy consumption and capital requirements. |
| Non-crop feedstocks only | All validated feedstocks are waste-derived or residue-based. No food supply chain impact. |
| Single-reactor upgrading | Hydrodeoxygenation, desulfurization, and deacidification in one pass. Minimal waste streams. Maximum carbon yield. |
Have a feedstock you think we can't handle? That's exactly the conversation we want to have. Contact NanosTech to evaluate AQP Bio for your project.