Glycerol aqueous phase reforming for hydrogen generation over Pt catalyst – Effect of catalyst composition and reaction conditions

Glycerol is a by-product of biodiesel production. Many investigations have been carried out on glycerol conversion to valuable chemicals and fuels. In this work, hydrogen production from a glycerol solution by aqueous phase reforming process was studied over supported Pt catalysts, and the affect of metal loadings and operation conditions have been examined. The reaction pathways showed that hydrogen generation is accompanied by side reactions to form alkane and liquid products. XRD study suggested that the alumina support in the catalyst was transformed into boehmite Al2(OOH)2; the elemental analysis demonstrated that carbonaceous entities was formed over the catalyst during the reaction which may cause catalyst activity drop.