Title: “Hydrogen production by steam reforming process using different feed stocks”
Brief objectives of Project:
Preparation of nickel-based catalysts by various methods
Screening and characterization of catalysts
Experimental studies to optimize the parameters
Comparing the feed stocks in terms of yield of hydrogen
This project mainly aims on production of hydrogen using cheaper feed stock materials produced as a by-product from various process by using suitable catalyst and to reduce the carbon emissions. It focuses on optimizing various parameters to produce maximum yield of hydrogen and higher conversion of feed stocks. Among the various renewable feedstock sources, glycerol, acetic acid and acetone are cheaper raw materials and has relatively high hydrogen content. The Nickle based catalysts were prepared using wet impregnation and coprecipitation method by incorporating different types of promoters to enhance the yield of hydrogen.
Alumina-supported nickel catalysts with different promoters were prepared by excess solution impregnation as using a pelletised γ-Al2O3 support (IPCL, India) and oxide salts (MERCK, CDH, Finar and HPLC grade). The desired concentration of nitrate solution was prepared for the given mass of alumina pellets and shaking continuously for 4 h. Then pellets were dried at 110˚ C for 12 h in an oven followed by calcination in the presence of air in order to convert into oxides from nitrates. The details of calcination temperature and duration of heating maintained for various catalysts were reduced in-situ in the flow of a stream of 15/85: H2/N2 (v/v) through the catalyst bed at a temperature increment of 10˚ C min-1 and dwelling for 2 h. A typical procedure for the preparation of Ni/MgO/ZrO2/Al2O3 catalysts followed is described here. The solutions of Nickel Nitrate (Ni(NO3)2), Magnesium Nitrate (Mg(NO3)2 and Zirconium Nitrate (Zr(NO3)2) were prepared by adding them in a sufficient quantity of double quantity of distilled water to prepare Ni/MgO/ZrO2/Al2O3 catalysts. Alumina pellets were crushed to the size of approximately 1 mm before it was used for the impregnation. The crushed particles were allowed to soak for 4 h under vigorous stirring in the solution to ensure uniformity of deposition. The excess water was removed in a rotary vacuum evaporator. Then wet pellets were dried at 110˚ C for 12 h followed by calcination at 650˚ C for 4 h. The reduction was carried out in-situ using a stream of 15/85: H2/N2 (v/v) at a temperature ramp of 10˚ C min1 and dwelling at 500˚ C for 2 h. The same procedure is followed to prepare various catalysts by wet impregnation method. Various catalysts were also prepared by co-precipitation method and solgel method.
The best catalysts in performance will be characterized by various characterization techniques like XRD, SEM, BET,TG-DTA techniques. Detailed catalysts characterization studies will help to understand the physical nature of the catalysts. Effects of promoters on physicochemical properties were correlated to the catalytic activity and stability for steam reforming of glycerol.