Hydrogen Production by Ethanol Reforming on Supported Ni–Cu Catalysts

Abstract

Supported bimetallic Ni–Cu catalysts with different Ni–Cu loadings on alumina (Al2O3), alumina–silica (Al2O3–SiO2), alumina–magnesia (Al2O3–MgO), alumina–zinc oxide (Al2O3–ZnO), and alumina–lanthanum oxide (Al2O3–La2O3) were prepared and tested in ethanol steam reforming for the production of hydrogen (H2). These catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, H2-temperature-programmed reduction, ammonia-temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. Cu addition improved the reducibility of NiO. Among the as-prepared catalysts, 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3–MgO and 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3–ZnO demonstrated much higher H2 selectivity and excellent coke resistance compared to the other investigated catalysts. Over 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3–MgO and 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3–ZnO, the respective H2 selectivity was 73.3 and 63.6% at 450 °C and increased to 94.0 and 95.2% at 600 °C. The strong interaction of Ni–Cu and Al2O3–ZnO (or Al2O3–MgO) led to the formation of smaller and highly dispersed CuO and NiO species on the carrier, which is conducive to improved catalytic performance. These Al2O3–MgO- and Al2O3–ZnO-supported bimetallic Ni–Cu materials can be promising catalysts for hydrogen production from ethanol steam reforming.

Recent advances in hydrogen production through catalytic steam reforming of ethanol: Advances in catalytic design

“…[82] As a result, adding oxides to alumina is highly recommended to reduce the acidity of the alumina-based support material to minimize coke formation. In this context, Liu et al [83] Ceria (CeO 2 ) was first discovered in 1953 by the US Geological Survey using a spectro-chemical method as a rare earth element. [84] In 1975, CeO 2 was identified as inert support to stabilize active metal nanoparticles for catalytic usage since it had a better capacity for metal dispersion when compared to conventional Al 2 O 3 .…”

“…[ 82 ] As a result, adding oxides to alumina is highly recommended to reduce the acidity of the alumina‐based support material to minimize coke formation. In this context, Liu et al [ 83 ] used various oxide supports (i.e., Al 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 ‐SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 ‐MgO, Al 2 O 3 ‐ZnO, and Al 2 O 3 ‐La 2 O 3 ) on the bimetallic (Ni‐Cu) catalysts and tested for ESR reactions. Results indicated that incorporation of Cu improved NiO's ability to be reduced.…”

Ni-Infiltrated Spherical Porcelain Support as Potential Steam Reforming Microchannel Reactor

“…However, nickel suffers from coke formation and sintering. The latter can be inhibited if alloying with Ag or Cu [ 16 , 17 ]. Infiltration is a standard fabrication process to coat the pores of a substrate with the desired catalysts [ 5 , 10 , 11 , 16 , 17 ]: A solution containing the desired cations is impregnated in the porous supports as many times as needed to obtain the desired loading, and the sample is calcined in air to burn out all the organics then reduced to the metallic state.…”

Effect of Water Content on Ethanol Steam Reforming in the Nonthermal Plasma

“…There is a C–C bond in ethanol, that causes the formation of much coke. Coke deposits on catalysts’ surfaces and deactivates them. − Therefore, in the process of ethanol reforming, it is worth using plasma reactors, the operation of which is not disturbed by coke. Zhu and Baránková generated plasma in liquid substrates.…”