Ethanol oxidative steam reforming over Ni-based catalysts

Oxidative steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production in order to feed a solid polymer fuel cell (SPFC) has been studied over several catalysts at on board conditions (a molar ratio of H2O/EtOH and of O2/EtOH equal to 1.6 and 0.68 respectively) and a reforming temperature between 923 and 1073 K. Two Ni (11 and 20 wt.%)/Al2O3 catalysts and five bimetallic catalysts, all of them supported on Al2O3, were tested. The bimetallic catalysts were Ni (approximately 20 wt.%) based catalysts doped with Cr (0.65 wt.%), Fe (0.6 wt.%), Zn (0.7 wt.%) or Cu (0.6 and 3.1 wt.%). The results in terms of H2 production and CO2/COx ratio obtained over Ni-based catalysts supported on Al2O3 are compared with those obtained over Ni–Cu/SiO2 and Rh/Al2O3 catalysts reported in our previous works. Tendencies of the product selectivities are analyzed in the light of the reaction network proposed.