Enhanced syngas production from waste lubricant oil reforming with transition metal catalysts

Abstract

Waste lubricant oil (WLO) which is a spent oil from vehicles, and machinery is often incinerated or landfilled, leading to environmental pollution and heavy metal-contaminations. At the same time WLO can converted to synthesis gas using steam reforming. In this study, catalytic steam reforming of WLO was performed in a micro fixed bed reactor at atmospheric pressure. Ni and Fe metals were loaded in a ratio of 5% and 10% on dolomite and olivine catalysts through impregnation method. The effects of equivalent ratio (ER) and metal (Ni and Fe) loadings on dolomite and olivine supported catalysts were investigated. Carbon-hydrogen conversions were significantly affected by ER with the optimum data at 0.88, which resulted in low CH4, and high H2 and CO. Nonetheless, the 5%Ni/dolomite exhibited superior overall activity with the highest overall conversion and hydrogen yield. In this case, hydrogen and carbon conversions were 65.71% and 66.38%, respectively, while H2 to CO molar ratio was 1.05 and the lower heating value was 6.76 MJ/m3. Hence, this suggests that the surface-active site of Ni on dolomite has high activity for C–C cleavage and water gas shift reaction. The conversion to H2 and CO was improved through methane and hydrocarbon steam reforming on the catalyst surface. Catalytic reforming of WLO not only enhanced synthesis gas generation which can be readily used as energy, a partial source of H2 or chemical feedstock but also as an appealing, sustainable, and economical waste management alternative.