Ethanol steam reforming over cobalt talc in a plate microreactor

M. DOMÍNGUEZ; G. CRISTIANO; E. LÓPEZ; J. LLORCA

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Año: 2011 vol. 176 p. 280 - 285

1385-8947

Stainless steel plates were coated with cobalt talc (Co3[Si2O5]2(OH)2) and used in a catalytic plate microreactor for producing hydrogen from ethanol steam reforming at low temperature. Cobalt talc was deposited successfully by one-step hydrothermal synthesis from Co(NO3)2·6H2O and Na2SiO3 at 463 K for 60 h and characterized by scanning electron and confocal microscopy, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and mechanical stability tests. Catalytic plates did not require any activation treatment and showed fast start-up. At 648 K and W/FEtOH=0.5 g·min·mol-1 complete ethanol conversion was attained and the yield to the reforming products, H2 and CO2, were 97 and 90%, respectively, whereas CO was detected at a trace level (<0.1%).