Characterization of La-promoted Ni/Al2O3 catalysts for hydrogen production from glycerol dry reforming

• Published in: Journal of energy chemistry Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 15 - 21
• Main Authors: Siew, Kah Weng, Lee, Hua Chyn, Gimbun, Jolius, Cheng, Chin Kui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; catalysts; dry; dry reforming; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Hydrogen; kinetics; lanthanide; lanthanide promotion; Ni catalysts; promotion; reaction; reaction kinetics; reforming; reaction kinetics; lanthanide promotion; Ni catalysts; dry reforming; Lanthanide; Glycerol; Doped materials; Dry reforming; Transition metal; Reforming; Supported catalyst; Characterization; Aluminium Oxides; Surface properties; Nickel; Kinetics; Surface area; Alumina; Hydrogen production
• ISSN: 2095-4956
• DOI: 10.1016/S2095-4956(14)60112-1

In the current paper, dry(CO2)-reforming of glycerol, a new reforming route, was carried out over alumina(Al2O3)-supported, non-promoted and lanthanum-promoted nickel(Ni) catalysts. Both sets of catalysts were synthesized via a wet co-impregnation procedure. Physicochemical characterization of the catalysts showed that the promoted catalyst possessed smaller metal crystallite size, hence higher metal dispersion compared to the virgin Ni/Al2O3catalyst. This was also corroborated by the surface images captured by the FESEM analysis. From temperature-programmed calcination analysis, the derivative weight profiles revealed two peaks, which represent a water elimination peak at a temperature range of 373 to 473 K followed by nickel nitrate decomposition from 473 to 573 K. In addition, BET surface area measurements gave 85.0 m2 g-1for the non-promoted Ni catalyst, whilst the promoted catalysts showed an average of 1% to 6% improvement depending on the La loadings. Significantly, reaction studies at 873 K showed that glycerol dry reforming successfully produced H2. The 2%La-Ni/Al2O3catalyst, which possessed the largest BET surface area, gave an optimum H2generation(9.70%) at a glycerol conversion of 24.5%.