Hydrogen Production from Ethylene Glycol Aqueous Phase Reforming over Ni–Al Layered Hydrotalcite-Derived Catalysts

Jianguang Zhang,Ningge Xu

doi:10.3390/catal10010054

Abstract

By introducing Mg, Cu, Zn, Sn, and Mn into the synthesis processes of Ni and Al based hydrotalcite, Ni–Al layered hydrotalcite-derived catalysts with different metal compositions were prepared. In this paper, the effect of metal composition on the structure of Ni–Al layered hydrotalcite-derived catalysts is investigated, and then catalytic activities of prepared catalysts with different metal compositions on ethylene glycol aqueous-phase reforming are analyzed. The physicochemical properties of the Ni–Al layered hydrotalcite-derived catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and nitrogen adsorption–desorption technology. The obtained hydrotalcite-derived catalysts were applied to the process of ethylene glycol aqueous-phase reforming (APR). The XRD results confirmed that the precursors of hydrotalcite-derived catalysts with metal compositions of Ni/Mg/Al, Ni/Cu/Al, Ni/Zn/Al, and Ni/Sn/Al had hydrotalcite crystalloid morphology. During the process of ethylene glycol aqueous phase reforming, all the catalysts showed high conversion of ethylene glycol (>90%), and the optimum hydrogen yield (73.5%) was obtained when using the catalyst with metal composition of Ni/Mg/Al at 225 °C under 2.6 MPa in nitrogen atmosphere for 2.5 h.

Highlights

Fossil energy is a type of nonrenewable energy with limited reserves and potential to cause environment pollution
The oxygenated compounds gained from biomass pyrolysis, such as alcohols and acids, have been used as raw materials for hydrogen production [4,5,6]
Al2O3 phase was observed in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of NZnA–C, which was probably due to the dispersion consistent with the results reported by Resini et al [29]

Summary

Introduction

Fossil energy is a type of nonrenewable energy with limited reserves and potential to cause environment pollution. As a clean energy with high heating value, hydrogen energy has aroused extensive attention [1,2]. The vast majority of hydrogen for human society is produced by further processing fossil fuel at present [3]. To this end, it is imperative to develop a new approach of hydrogen production, with renewable resources as raw materials [4]. The oxygenated compounds gained from biomass pyrolysis, such as alcohols and acids, have been used as raw materials for hydrogen production [4,5,6]. Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis-derived oxygenated compounds is considered environmental and economical [7]

Methods

Results

Conclusion