ETHANOL STEAM REFORMING OVER Rh/MgAl CATALYST: A KINETIC STUDY

CECILIA GRASCHINSKY, MIGUEL LABORDE, NORMA AMADEO, ANTHONY LE VALANT, NICOLAS BION, FLORENCE EPRON, DANIEL DUPREZ

Salamanca, España

Congreso; Europacat IX; 2009

Sociedad Española de Catálisis

A kinetic study of ethanol steam reforming over Rh/MgAl spinel catalyst supported on alumina was carried out. From the analysis of products distribution the following  reaction scheme was proposed: C2H5OH + H2O ® CO2 + CH4 + 2H2 (eq.1) and C2H5OH ® CO + CH4 + H2 (eq. 2). Experimental evidence shows that WGS and methane steam reforming are at the equilibrium. The results let conclude that, at least, two active sites of the same kind and the ethanol adsorbed are involved in the rate determining step (RDS). Applying the initial rate method, three mechanisms for the reaction 1 and only one mechanism (dissociation of ethanol adsorbed) for the reaction 2 could be the RDS.