US 12319574 B1Patent grantUnited States

Date-Palm Hydrogel Catalyst for Hydrogen

Official patent title

Biomass derived nanocomposite for hydrogen production

Arabic title: مركب نانوي مشتق من الكتلة الحيوية لإنتاج الهيدروجين

Invention

Problem

Large-scale hydrogen production can depend on fossil fuels, high energy input, expensive electrolysis, or methods with limited efficiency and scalability.

Why it matters

Lower-temperature controlled hydrogen release could support specialized generation systems, while biomass-derived catalyst components may create value from agricultural residues.

Approach

The method extracts nanocellulose crystals from date-palm waste, cross-links them with bentonite into a hydrogel catalyst, and uses that catalyst to hydrolyze a borohydride in water at 20–45 °C, producing hydrogen gas.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-generation researchers, catalyst developers, borohydride-system engineers, nanocellulose producers, and date-palm waste processors.

Potential value

The technology combines locally derived nanocellulose, bentonite, mild-temperature hydrolysis, and measured hydrogen-generation behavior in a single hydrogel catalyst platform.

Background

Hydrogen is studied as an energy carrier, but common production routes have tradeoffs. Steam-methane reforming consumes fossil fuel and produces carbon dioxide, while electrolysis can demand substantial energy and capital. Microbial and photocatalytic routes may face efficiency or scale limitations. Metal-borohydride hydrolysis offers controlled hydrogen release but depends on specialized reactants and conditions. The publication addresses the catalyst side of that reaction with a bentonite–nanocellulose hydrogel made partly from date-palm waste.

Technology overview

Nanocellulose crystals extracted from date-palm waste are dispersed with bentonite in water, cross-linked with an organic-acid solution, and heated to form a hydrogel. Sodium borohydride or another listed borohydride reacts with water over the catalyst at 20–45 °C. Under the reported laboratory conditions, the publication provides hydrogen volumes, generation rate, activation parameters, FT-IR, XRD, and hydrogen-volume-versus-time measurements for the composite catalyst.

Potential applications

Laboratory hydrogen generation by sodium-borohydride hydrolysis.
Hydrogel-catalyst research for controlled borohydride decomposition.
Nanocellulose–bentonite composite development for catalytic systems.
Value-added use of date-palm waste in hydrogen-related materials.

Evidence-supported advantages

Nanocellulose is extracted from date-palm waste.
The hydrogel combines plant-derived nanocellulose with bentonite.
Hydrogen generation occurs in the disclosed range of 20–45 °C.
Hydrogen volume, rate, and activation parameters are reported.
FT-IR, XRD, and kinetic plots characterize the catalyst and reaction.

Development stage

Laboratory hydrogel characterization and hydrogen-generation kinetics are described; integrated commercial reactor operation was not established.

Commercial opportunity

The hydrogel may interest catalyst and controlled-hydrogen-system developers. Commercial assessment should establish catalyst reuse, mechanical stability, borohydride conversion, gas purity, reaction control, safe storage and handling, spent-borate management and regeneration, feedstock consistency, reactor integration, lifecycle emissions, and total hydrogen cost.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
B01J31/06Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus

CPC

B01J31/06Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/036Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
C08J3/075Working-up; general compounding processes; after-treatment of macromolecular compounds
C08J3/242Working-up; general compounding processes; after-treatment of macromolecular compounds
C01B2203/1082Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
C08J2301/02Working-up; general compounding processes; after-treatment of macromolecular compounds

Inventors

First inventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
InventorAbdulrahman G. ALHAMZANI
InventorMortaga Mohamed M. Abou-Krisha
InventorAbdullah A. Aldakhil
InventorZainab Mohammed Abdullah Almarhoon

Keywords

hydrogen production
nanocellulose
date palm waste
bentonite
hydrogel catalyst
borohydride hydrolysis
sodium borohydride
biomass

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.