Effects of Preparation Method on the Performance of Ni/Al2O3 Catalysts for Hydrogen Production by Bio-Oil Steam Reforming

Steam reforming of bio-oil derived from the fast pyrolysis of biomass is an economic and renewable process for hydrogen production. The main objective of the present work has been to investigate the effects of the preparation method of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts on their performance in hydrogen production by bio-oil steam reforming. The Ni/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by impregnation, co-precipitation, and sol-gel methods. XRD, XPS, H-2-TPR, SEM, TEM, TG, and N-2 physisorption measurements were performed to characterize the texture and structure of the catalysts obtained after calcination and after their subsequent use. Ethanol and bio-oil model compound were selected for steam reforming to evaluate the catalyst performance. The catalyst prepared by the co-precipitation method was found to display better performance than the other two. Under the optimized reaction conditions, an ethanol conversion of 99% and a H-2 yield of 88% were obtained.