Dwi Irawan, Widya Wijayanti, Slamet Wahyudi, Herma Nugroho Rono Adi Kusumo, Ahmad Yani, I.N.G. Wardana
This study investigates the improvement of hydrogen gas production in biomass pyrolysis through the use of Nabentonite catalysts modified with methyl ester sulfonate (MES), a biodegradable anionic surfactant. Corn cob powder was used as the biomass feedstock in a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor at 550°C. The MES modification introduced alkyl, ester, and sulfonate functional groups, increasing the catalyst porosity, surface area, and acidity. Structural and chemical changes were confirmed by FTIR, XRD, UV-Vis, SEM, and EDX analyses. The MES-modified Na-bentonite catalyst significantly enhanced hydrogen production, reaching 876 ppm (a 25.11% increase compared to pyrolysis without a catalyst) and also lowered the reaction temperature and shortened the reaction time. Methane production decreased as MES improved catalyst selectivity toward dehydrogenation pathways. The results indicate that MESmodified Na-bentonite is a low-cost, efficient, and environmentally friendly catalyst suitable for improving hydrogen yields in biomass pyrolysis, offering a promising alternative to conventional metal-based catalysts. © 2025 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia.
Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia; Muhammadiyah Metro University, Lampung, Indonesia
