Hydrogen production by crude glycerol steam reforming over Ni–La–Ti mixed oxide catalysts

VEIGA, SANTIAGO; FACCIO, RICARDO; SEGOBIA, DARÍO; APESTEGUÍA, CARLOS; BUSSI, JUAN

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2017

0360-3199

The production of H2-rich gaseous mixtures from steam reformingof crude glycerol was investigated on ternary Ni-La-Ti catalysts. Ni-La-Ti mixed oxides containing 15 wt% of Ni and a La/Ti atomic ratio of 1were prepared by a coprecipitation method and characterized by a varietyof physical and spectroscopic techniques. Samples were calcined in air at700ºC or 850ºC for 2 h. Ni-La-Ti samples calcined at 700 °C (NiLaTi700)showed a well-defined NiO phase and an amorphous La-Ti mixed oxide, whilethose calcined 850 °C (NiLaTi850), exhibited two well defined phases ofNiO and LaTiO3 perovskite, respectively. NiO was completely reduced tometallic Ni on both solids under pure H2 at 650 °C and the resulting Ni0phase remained as a separate phase under the steam reforming conditions.Standard catalytic tests for the steam reforming of glycerol wereperformed at 500ºC or 650ºC by feeding the fixed-bed tubular reactor witha crude glycerol:water solution containing 30 wt% glycerol. The bestresults were achieved on NiLaTi700 at 650ºC, obtaining H2 yields andH2/CO2 molar ratios close to the theoretical values predicted by thesteam reforming reaction stoichiometry. A slight activity decay wasobserved on NiLaTi700 with the progress of the reaction, probablyreflecting the formation of small amounts of coke.