Abstract
The use of copper-based binary catalysts, Cu/Zr oxides and Cu/Al oxides, has been examined to produce hydrogen from ethanol in the ethanol steam reforming process. The examined catalysts were compared with non-noble bicomponent catalysts consisting of oxides of nickel and cobalt: Ni/Zr Co/Zr, Ni/Al and Co/Al, prepared and tested in the identical way. Catalytic tests were carried out in the fixed-bed reactor in the temperature range 433–873 K for initial molar ratio of ethanol to water equal to 1:3. Ethanol conversion approached near 100%. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, TPR. Cu/Zr oxides. The catalyst showed very good selectivity. It is significant that carbon monoxide appeared only above 600 K and its selectivity has not exceeded 3% in the higher temperature range. No methane has been detected. Hydrogen yield was relatively stable in the temperature range from 513 to 873 K. Similarly, in the presence of Cu/Al oxides neither CO nor CH4 were found in the products. The correlation between activity of examined catalysts and textural properties was not found.
Highlights
The increase in environmental pollution and new restrictions and regulations require new clean technologies of high energy efficiency, so the search for alternative sources of green energy
The tested catalysts achieved their activity toward hydrogen production for different temperature ranges, the table shows the maximum hydrogen efficiencies and corresponding temperatures
The only relationship that has been found is between pore diameter and hydrogen yield: about 50% increase in pore diameter caused a decrease in hydrogen yield
Summary
The increase in environmental pollution and new restrictions and regulations require new clean technologies of high energy efficiency, so the search for alternative sources of green energy. Nowadays there is no doubt that hydrogen is the most important carrier of clean energy [1]. Until today, it was produced in industry from gasification of coal and other fossil materials, in steam reforming of hydrocarbons (mainly methane) and oxygenates (mainly methanol) [2, 3] and from electrolysis of water [4]. There are many sources of cheap ethanol like biomass and all substrates with starch content [5]. The main reaction of hydrogen production process from ethanol is strong endothermic [1]: C2H5OH + 3H2O ⟷ 2 CO2 + 6 H2 ΔH298 = +174 kJ∕mol (1)
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