Hydrogen-rich gas production by the catalytic thermochemical conversion of glycerol

In this study, hydrogen rich gas product was obtained by catalytic steam reforming of glycerol obtained by transesterification of commercial glycerol and microalgae oil in a continuous flow reactor. Ni/Al2O3, Ni/MgO, Ni-Mg/Al2O3 catalysts used in the steam reforming process were synthesized with different loading rates using impregnation method. Catalysts were characterized using XRD (X-Ray Diffractometer), XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) and FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), techniques. The effect of reaction parameters such as the catalyst type (Ni/Al2O3, Ni/MgO, Ni-Mg/Al2O3), temperature (600, 650 and 700ºC) and glycerol/water ratio (1:1, 1:3, 1:6) on the hydrogen yield was investigated. In the steam reforming process, the catalyst type (Ni/Al2O3, Ni/MgO, Ni-Mg/Al2O3), temperature (600, 650 and 700ºC) and glycerol/water ratio (1: 1, 1: 3, 1: 6) are its effect has been studied. The highest H2 yield (from commercial glycerol: 20.68 mol H2/kg glycerol, from microalgae oil: 13.17 mol H2/kg glycerol) was achieved in the presence of 30% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst, at a reaction temperature of 650°C and a ratio of 1:3 glycerol/water.