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Selective Production of Methane from Aqueous Biocarbohydrate Streams over a Mixture of Platinum and Ruthenium Catalysts
Author(s) -
Neira D'Angelo Maria Fernanda,
Ordomsky Vitaly,
van der Schaaf John,
Schouten Jaap C.,
Nijhuis Tjeerd Alexander
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201300828
Subject(s) - methane , chemistry , hydrogenolysis , catalysis , ruthenium , aqueous solution , platinum , sorbitol , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
A one‐step process for the selective production of methane from low‐value aqueous carbohydrate streams is proposed. Sorbitol, used herein as a model compound, is fully converted to methane, CO 2 , and a minor amount of H 2 by using a physical mixture of Pt and Ru (1:5 in mass basis) at 220 °C and 35 bar. This conversion is the result of hydrogenolysis of part of the sorbitol over Ru and the in situ production of H 2 through the aqueous‐phase reforming of the remaining carbohydrate over Pt. A synergistic effect of the combination of these two catalysts results in the rapid and highly selective conversion of the carbohydrate to methane. This process offers the possibility of upgrading a low‐value carbohydrate stream into a valuable fuel with no addition of H 2 . Exergy analysis reveals that nearly 80 % of the exergy of the reactant is recovered as methane.