Novel zirconia-supported catalysts for low-temperature oxidative steam reforming of ethanol

Three zirconia-supported platinum group metal (Pt, Ru and Pt–Ru) catalysts were prepared by impregnation. The activity of these catalysts toward the oxidative steam reforming of ethanol (OSRE) was examined in a fixed-bed reactor in the temperature range of 260–380 °C. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption at −196 °C. Activity results indicated that the optimized experimental conditions involved a reforming temperature of close to 300 °C and the molar ratios of O2/EtOH and H2O/EtOH of 0.44 and 4.9, respectively. An ethanol conversion (CEtOH) approaching 100% and a hydrogen yield (YH2YH2) exceeding 3.0 mole/mole ethanol were noticed at 280 °C over all the catalysts. Among these catalysts, the Pt–Ru/ZrO2 catalyst was an excellent OSRE catalyst at low temperature. The maximum YH2YH2 was 4.4 and the CO distribution was 3.3 mol% at 340 °C.