Glycerol steam reforming over Ni–Fe–Ce/Al2O3 catalyst for hydrogen production

Abstract

In this study, we focused on the catalytic activity, stability, and kinetics of glycerol steam reforming (GSR) for the hydrogen production over Ni–Fe–Ce/Al2O3 catalyst. The GSR was investigated in a quartz fixed-bed reactor with an internal diameter of 6 mm under atmospheric pressure, 18.44–44.56 g h/mol weight of catalyst per molar flow rate of glycerol at the inlet (W cat/F AO ratio), 20 wt% glycerol solution concentration, and the temperature range 450–550 °C. Ni–Fe–Ce/Al2O3 catalyst was characterized by N2 physisorption [Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method], X-ray spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction with H2, temperature-programmed desorption of adsorbed CO2 (CO2-TPD), scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. H2, CO2, CO and CH4 were the main gaseous products with the H2:CO2 ratio at roughly 2.00. The increase in the temperature and W cat/F AO ratio caused the expected increase in the glycerol conversion and H2 yield. All the kinetic parameters for the GSR were obtained in the kinetically controlled reaction regime. The experimental data using the power-law method indicate that the reaction order with respect to glycerol and the activation energy were 0.06 and 32.9 kJ/mol, respectively.