Hydrolysis of eichhornia crassipes (eceng gondok) to glucose over sulfonated active carbon catalyst

Abstract

Enzimatic process and acid hydrolysis process are common process for conversion of cellulose to glucose. Unfornately, the two processes are expensive process and korosif process. Hence, the new process, that use sulfonaned active carbon catalyst is important to developing. The sulfonated active carbon is made from carbonated coconut sheel under temperature at 350oC. After carbonation, sulfonated active carbon soaked under sulphate acid 96% at 150oC until 15 hours. The result is then washed and dried, and tested catalyst characteristics in the form of H+ capacity, pore size catalysts by used BET surface area, functional groups by used FTIR, and morphology catalyst structure by used SEM. Catalyst performance was tested in an autoclave reactor through a hydrothermal process with difference of the catalyst amount and temperature. The results showed that the test characteristics of H+ capacity is 2.95 mmol/g, the pore size is 29 m2/gr. FTIR analyze showed that the presence of sulfonate groups read at a wavelength of vibration 1750 cm-1 and 1379 cm-1. By SEM analyze showed that the morphological structure of sulfonated active carbon is more open than other catalyst. By testing catalyst, the highest conversion of glucose is 87.2 %.