Abstract
This work aimed to study the catalytic activity of catalysts containing various metal elements on glycerol hydrogenolysis. The catalyst was prepared using copper, nickel, and copper-nickel in a metal mass ratio of 1. The metal chloride solution was precipitated with zinc powder to form metal alloy, which was then digested using acetic acid to create a type of porous particles. All catalysts were characterized using X-ray fluorescence, N2-physisorption, and temperature-programmed reduction. Glycerol hydrogenolysis was conducted with an initial pressure of 40 bar, a temperature of 220 °C, and a stirrer speed of 500 rpm for 6 h, using a 2 % catalyst loading. The results showed that Urushibara copper can be used for glycerol hydrogenolysis, as it achieved glycerol conversion, Urushibara nickel and Urushibara copper-nickel did not exhibit catalytic activity. Catalyst characterization revealed a difference in the textural properties, which were found insignificant to glycerol conversion. The XRF results showed that the U-Cu catalyst has a higher zinc content than the other catalysts. The difference in composition affects the catalytic ability, with the zinc content contributing to glycerol dehydration to acetol.
