Influence of Catalytic Support on Hydrogen Production from Glycerol Steam Reforming

Abstract

The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier represents a promising alternative for mitigating climate change. However, its practical application requires achieving a high degree of purity throughout the production process. In this study, the influence of the type of catalytic support on H2 production via steam glycerol reforming was evaluated, with the objective of obtaining syngas with the highest possible H2 concentration. Three types of support were analyzed: two natural materials (zeolite and dolomite) and one metal oxide, alumina. Alumina and dolomite were coated with Ni at different loadings, while zeolite was only evaluated without Ni. Reforming experiments were carried out at a constant temperature of 850 °C, with continuous monitoring of H2, CO2, CO, and CH4 concentrations. The results showed that zeolite yielded the lowest H2 concentration (51%), mainly due to amorphization at high temperatures and the limited effectiveness of physical adsorption processes. In contrast, alumina and dolomite achieved H2 purities of around 70%, which increased with Ni loading. The improvement was particularly significant in dolomite, owing to its higher porosity and the recarbonation processes of CaO, enabling H2 purities of up to 90%.