Direct Catalytic Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass Wastes to Ethylene Glycol: Practical Learning for Chemical Engineering Students

Abstract

This experiment is specifically designed for Chemical Engineering students to comprehend the catalytic process of biomass residue direct conversion to ethylene glycol through practical procedures and enhance their knowledge of hydrogenation reactions and catalysts preparation. More importantly, this laboratory experiment can enable Chemical Engineering students to understand the catalytic reaction mechanism of lignocellulosic biomass conversion and learn various techniques, for example, carbon nanotube (CNT) supported Ni–W catalyst preparation, substrate pretreatment, and product analysis. As an extension to this work, students could additionally characterize the prepared catalyst using different methods such as N₂ adsorption, temperature-programmed reduction, inductively coupled plasma analysis, and thermogravimetry to discuss the experimental catalytic results. Then, the students can be assessed based on their participation, experimental performance (e.g., catalyst preparation, catalytic conversion, product analysis), and discussion of results. This experiment aims to encourage students to link their understanding of chemical engineering with practical operation, giving extra motivation to carry out more research in the area of biomass selective catalytic hydrogenation.