Low temperature steam reforming of ethanol over cobalt doped bismuth vanadate [Bi4(V0.90Co0.10)2O11-δ (BICOVOX)] catalysts for hydrogen production

The atmospheric pressure low temperature steam reforming of ethanol over Bi-4(V0.90Co0.10)(2)O11-delta (BICOVOX) catalysts, synthesize by a solution combustion synthesis method and calcined at 400, 600 and 800 degrees C, has been investigated at different reactor temperatures, H2O: EtOH molar ratios and feed flow rates. For fresh catalysts amount, crystallinity and particle size of pure gamma-BICOVOX phase is observed to increase with increasing calcination temperature. Phase purity and crystallinity of the catalysts are almost retained till 30 h of activity study with some amount of carbon formation as derived from XRD, XPS, FESEM and simultaneous DTA-TGA study. Catalyst calcined at 600 degrees C (BICOVOX-600) exhibits the highest ethanol conversion (100%) with maximum H-2 selectivity (80%) under reaction conditions of 400 degrees C, 23:1H(2)O: EtOH molar ratio and 0.35 cc min(-1) feed flow rate. The maximum O2- vacancy present in lattice and lowest coke deposition could explain the best performance of BICOVOX-600 catalyst.

Automated summary

The study found that the BICOVOX-600 catalyst exhibited the highest ethanol conversion and maximum H-2 selectivity under reaction conditions of 400 degrees C, 23:1H(2)O: EtOH molar ratio and 0.35 cc min(-1) feed flow rate. The presence of the maximum number of O2- vacancies in the lattice and lowest coke deposition can explain the superior performance of the BICOVOX-600 catalyst.