Structured nanocomposite catalysts of biofuels transformation into syngas and hydrogen: Design and performance

• Open-cell foam and microchannel plates were used as substrates.
• Ni + Ru-promoted perovskites or spinel oxides were supported by slip casting.
• Structured catalysts were tested in reforming of biofuels into syngas.
• High yield of syngas and coking stability were demonstrated.
• Best results were obtained for microchannel catalyst.

Main features of structured catalysts performance in bio-fuels reforming into syngas at lab-scale and pilot-scale levels using specially designed reactors and kinetic installations allowing to broadly tune the operational parameters are presented. Effects of the nature of nanocomposite active component comprised of Ru + Ni nanoparticles on bulk/alumina-supported perovskite or Mn–Cr–O spinel, type of substrate (Ni–Al alloy and SiC(Al2O3)/Al–Si–O foam substrates, Fechraloy microchannel plates or gauzes protected by thin corundum layer), type of fuel (natural gas, ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate glycerol), feed composition and temperature on yield of syngas/byproducts and performance stability are considered. The best performance in real feeds with syngas yield approaching equilibrium at short contact times without any heat/mass transfer effects along with a high thermochemical stability were demonstrated for catalyst on heat-conducting microchannel substrate. Oxygen addition to the feed in optimized amounts allows to suppress coking and stabilize performance even for the case of such reactive fuel as glycerol only slightly affecting syngas yield.