Hydrogen from ethylene glycol by supercritical water reforming using noble and base metal catalysts

Catalytic reforming of ethylene glycol (5 and 15 wt%) in supercritical water (450 degrees C and 250 bar) in the presence of alumina supported mono- and bi-metallic catalysts based on Ir., Pt and Ni was studied. Pt catalyst showed the highest hydrogen yields compared to Ir and Ni. Varying the Pt loading (0.3-1.5 wt%) showed that the intrinsic reforming activities improved with decreasing Pt loadings. However, a lower Pt loading had a large negative effect on the H-2 selectivity and catalyst stability. It was found that the presence of Ni in a Pt-Ni bimetallic catalyst improved hydrogen yields by suppressing methane formation. Moreover, the presence of Ni also enhanced catalyst stability. Results reported here were obtained at WHSV of 18 h(-1). The Pt-Ni/Al2O3 having a total metal loading of 1.5 wt% (molar ratio Pt:Ni = 1), is identified as a promising catalyst for the reforming of ethylene glycol in supercritical water and may prove suitable for various other SCWG applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.