Aqueous Phase Reforming of Sorbitol for Value Added Chemicals Production

Biomass has been considered as the only sustainable source of energy and
organic carbon for our industrial society. Biomass is a highly useful and renewable
resource countless potential for utilization as a basis for hydrogen production. The
behaviour of polyol (sorbitol) from hemicelluloses was investigated in aqueous phase
reforming over supported Ni/Alumina catalysts. The effects of metal loading on the
Ni/Alumina support on the catalytic performance were also studied. The objectives
of this project which are to synthesize and characterize Ni/Alumina catalyst
promoted by Ca for aqueous phase reforming (APR) of sorbitol and to conduct APR
of sorbitol in order to identify the value added chemical that produced are
investigated. The catalysts were synthesized by using several techniques such as
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and H2-
Temperature Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR) to distinguish its characteristics. The
TGA results shows that the optimum calcination temperature for all the catalysts is at
500oC. Prior the catalytic activity test, all the catalysts were reduced in hydrogen
flow by using the Tubular Furnace Reactor (TFR).