Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Mathematical modelling of the aqueous phase reforming of sorbitol

2^nd World Congress on Petrochemistry and Chemical Engineering

October 27-29, 2014 Embassy Suites Las Vegas, USA

Farid Aiouache, Lisa M. McAleer, Quan Gan, Ala?a H. A-Muhtaseb, Joseph Zeaiter and Mohammad N. Ahmad

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Pet Environ Biotechnol

Abstract:

This work presents a kinetic model for the aqueous phase reforming of sorbitol that uses a lumping scheme of intermediates and describes the complex path to gas products via a reforming route and liquid oxygenate route including hydrodeoxygenation, decarbonylation and dehydrogenation reactions. The model was tested at temperatures ranging from 473 to 523 K, using monometallic Ni and bimetallic Ni-Pd catalysts supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 and CeO 2 . The model revealed that the relevant competing paths were a function of the composition of catalyst and the conversion to the carbon gaseous products. Paths of reforming and CO 2 methanation were more important than decarbonylation and hydrodeoxygenation at small conversions for all catalysts whereas the hydrodeoxygenation-decarbonylation towards alkanes release was more competitive than the reforming at high conversions with Ni/Al 2 O 3 and Ni-Pd catalysts supported on ZrO 2 and CeO 2 but was still less competitive with Ni-Pd catalyst supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 .