Hydrogen Production by Ethanol Reforming on Supported Ni-Cu Catalysts

Supported bimetallic Ni-Cu catalysts with different Ni-Cu loadings on alumina (Al2O3), alumina-silica (Al2O3-SiO2), alumina-magnesia (Al2O3-MgO), alumina-zinc oxide (Al2O3-ZnO), and alumina-lanthanum oxide (Al2O3-La2O3) were prepared and tested in ethanol steam reforming for the production of hydrogen (H-2). These catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, H-2-temperature-programmed reduction, ammonia-temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. Cu addition improved the reducibility of NiO. Among the as-prepared catalysts, 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3-MgO and 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3-ZnO demonstrated much higher H-2 selectivity and excellent coke resistance compared to the other investigated catalysts. Over 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3-MgO and 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3-ZnO, the respective H-2 selectivity was 73.3 and 63.6% at 450 degrees C and increased to 94.0 and 95.2% at 600 degrees C. The strong interaction of Ni-Cu and Al2O3-ZnO (or Al2O3-MgO) led to the formation of smaller and highly dispersed CuO and NiO species on the carrier, which is conducive to improved catalytic performance. These Al2O3-MgO- and Al2O3-ZnO-supported bimetallic Ni-Cu materials can be promising catalysts for hydrogen production from ethanol steam reforming.

Automated summary

This study prepared and tested bimetallic Ni-Cu catalysts with different Ni-Cu loadings for hydrogen production from ethanol steam reforming. The results showed that 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3-MgO and 30Ni5Cu/Al2O3-ZnO catalysts exhibited higher H-2 selectivity and better coke resistance. The strong interaction between Ni-Cu and Al2O3-ZnO (or Al2O3-MgO) contributed to the improved catalytic performance.