Steam reforming of ethanol using novel carbon-oxide composite-supported Ni, Co and Fe catalysts

In this study, novel carbon-oxide composite-supported Ni, Co and Fe catalysts were prepared by the sol-gel method using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a carbon source and catalytic properties of the test catalysts were estimated for the steam reforming reactions of ethanol. The reactions were carried out in a fixed bed reactor under the following conditions: H2O/EtOH (mol/mol) = 12, and temperatures 300 °C-600 °C. Nitrogen adsorption and desorption, XRD, XRF and TG-DTA were measured for the characterization of the catalysts. When carbon from PEG was not used, both conversion of ethanol and hydrogen yield decreased. When the conversion and the hydrogen yield were compared between catalysts calcined at 500 °C, Ni catalysts showed the higher conversions and hydrogen yields than Co catalysts. When Co catalysts were calcined at 700 °C, comparable activity and the higher hydrogen yield were observed in the reaction at 600 °C. The composite-supported 16Co63C21A, calcined at 700 °C under N2 atmosphere, facilitated the highest activity and hydrogen yield among the Co catalysts: the hydrogen yield reached 80% when the conversion of ethanol was 100% at 600 °C. Only Co metal was detected for the fresh Co catalysts calcined at 700 °C while both CoO and Co3O4 peaks were detected for catalysts calcined at 500 °C. •Novel carbon-oxide composite-supported Co catalysts were prepared by the sol-gel method using PEG.•Among Co catalysts calcined at 500 °C 32Co47C21A was the most active.•16Co63C21A700N2 showed the highest activity 100% and hydrogen yield 80% at 600 °C.•XRD of 16Co63C21A700N2 exhibited only active metallic Co before the reaction.•The addition of 0.5%Ag to 16Co63C21A increased hydrogen yield and ethanol conversion.