Hydrogen Production by Ethanol Steam Reforming

The structure and surface properties of monometallic (Co or Ni) and bimetallic CoNi catalysts supported on MgAl2O4 for hydrogen production were studied by applying different techniques for physicochemical characterization such as: N2O chemisorption, TPR, XPS and XANES. The test reaction was ethanol steam reforming carried out at a temperature interval of 250?C-750?C and a ratio H2O/C2H5OH of 3/1. It was shown that the different behavior of catalysts in the C-C breaking depends mainly on the oxidation state of the metal components. It was detected that the acetaldehyde production is large when the oxidation degree of the metal components is at its maximum, i.e. the ethanol oxidative dehydrogenation takes place. Increasing the degree of metallic area in Ni and CoNi catalysts led to easily C-C bond cleavage, producing CO, CO2 and H2.