Base-facilitated production of hydrogen from biomass
Hydrogen is produced from a reaction of organic matter with a base. A bicarbonate or carbonate compound forms as a by-product. The base-facilitated hydrogen-producing reactions are thermodynamically more spontaneous than conventional-type reformation reactions and are able to produce hydrogen gas at less extreme reaction conditions than conventional-type reformation reactions. The preferred reactants are biomass, components of biomass, and mixtures of components of biomass. Especially preferred are base-facilitated reactions in which hydrogen is produced from carbohydrates or mixtures of carbohydrates, include monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, and cellulose. The instant reactions can occur in the liquid phase or solid.
1 . A process for producing hydrogen gas comprising the step of reacting organic matter with a base to form said hydrogen gas.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said organic matter is biomass.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein organic matter is a carbohydrate.
4 . The process of claim 3 , wherein said carbohydrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, polysaccharide, cellulose, starch, glucose, and sucrose.
5 . The process of claim 3 , wherein said carbohydrate is in a reduced form.
6 . The process of claim 5 , wherein said reduced form is an alcohol.
7 . The process of claim 3 , wherein said carbohydrate is in an oxidized form.
8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein said oxidized form is an acid.
9 . The process of claim 3 , wherein said carbohydrate has the empirical formula C n H 2n O n , where n is an index having an integer value.
10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the index n is greater than 5.
11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said organic matter and said base are reacted in the presence of water in the form of water vapor, liquid water or both
12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said organic matter and said base react in the solid phase.
13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said reaction step occurs at a temperature between 25 C and 200 C.
14 . The process of claim 3 , wherein said organic matter comprises two or more carbohydrates.
15 . The process of claim 3 , wherein said organic matter comprises three or more carbohydrates.
16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said reaction step further forms a carbonate or bicarbonate compound.
17 . The process of claim 16 , further including the step of reacting said carbonate or bicarbonate compound with a metal hydroxide compound.
18 . The process of claim 16 , wherein said carbonate or bicarbonate compound is formed as a precipitate.
19 . The process of claim 18 , further including the step of thermally decomposing said carbonate or bicarbonate precipitate, said thermal decomposition step producing a metal oxide.
20 . The process of claim 16 , wherein said carbonate or bicarbonate compound is in the form of an aqueous salt.
21 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said base is a metal hydroxide compound.
22 . The process of claim 21 , wherein said metal hydroxide compound is an alkali metal hydroxide compound.
23 . The process of claim 21 , wherein said metal hydroxide compound is an alkaline earth metal hydroxide compound.