Influence of Catalytic Formulation and Operative Conditions on Coke Deposition over CeO 2 -SiO 2 Based Catalysts for Ethanol Reforming

Vincenzo Palma, Concetta Ruocco, Eugenio Meloni and Antonio Ricca
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Vincenzo Palma: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 83040 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Concetta Ruocco: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 83040 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Eugenio Meloni: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 83040 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Antonio Ricca: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 83040 Fisciano (SA), Italy

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: In this work, a series of CeO 2 -SiO 2 (30 wt % of ceria)-based catalysts was prepared by the wetness impregnation method and tested for ESR (ethanol steam reforming) at 450–500 °C, atmospheric pressure and a water/ethanol ratio increasing from 4 to 6 (the ethanol concentration being fixed to 10 vol %); after every test, coke gasification measurements were performed at the same water partial pressure, and the temperature of the test and the gasified carbon was measured from the areas under the CO and CO 2 profiles. Finally, oxidation measurements under a 5% O 2 /N 2 stream made it possible to calculate the total carbon deposited. In an attempt to improve the coke resistance of a Pt-Ni/CeO 2 -SiO 2 catalyst, the effect of support basification by alkali addition (K and Cs), as well as Pt substitution by Rh was investigated. The novel catalysts, especially those containing Rh, displayed a lowering in the carbon formation rate; however, a faster reduction of ethanol conversion with time-on-stream and lessened hydrogen selectivities were recorded. In addition, no significant gain in terms of coke gasification rates was observed. The most active catalyst (Pt-Ni/CeO 2 -SiO 2 ) was also tested under different operative conditions, in order to study the effect of temperature and water/ethanol ratio on carbon formation and gasification. The increase in the water content resulted in an enhanced reactor-plugging time due to reduced carbonaceous deposits formation; however, no effect of steam concentration on the carbon gasification rate were recorded. On the other hand, the increase in temperature from 450–500 °C lowered the coke selectivity by almost one order of magnitude improving, at the same time, the contribution of the gasification reactions.

Keywords: hydrogen; ethanol reforming; coke; rhodium; alkali metals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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