Production of Renewable Hydrogen by Glycerol Steam Reforming Using Ni-Cu-Mg-Al Mixed Oxides Obtained from Hydrotalcite-like Compounds

Ni-Cu catalysts derived from hydrotalcite-like compounds were prepared with 20 wt% of NiO and 0, 5, and 10 wt% of CuO, and evaluated in the steam reforming of glycerol. The reaction was performed in a continuous flow reactor with a solution of 10 and 20 vol.% glycerol, at 500 A degrees C and atmospheric pressure. The highest conversion of glycerol (around 100 %) was obtained with Ni catalyst in both solutions. In the gas phase, the higher H-2 selectivities were obtained with Cu-containing catalysts: 71 % (Ni5Cu/10 vol.%) and 68 % (Ni10Cu/20 vol.%). The main products formed in the liquid phase were lactic acid, acetol, acetaldehyde and acrolein and a small quantity of acetic acid. Characterization of the spent catalysts revealed that Cu-containing catalysts have greater resistance to carbon formation and the sintering process is not significant, showing that the catalysts prepared exhibit good catalytic stability.