A Combined Catalyst and Sorbent for Enhancing Hydrogen Production from Coal or Biomass

Future large-scale production of H 2 for use as a clean fuel will likely depend upon gasifying coal or biomass followed by steam reforming the resulting gas mixture and separating the CO 2 byproduct. The process of steam reforming and CO 2 separation can be greatly simplified by utilizing a new material that combines a reforming catalyst with a sorbent for CO 2 . Such a material was prepared in the form of small pellets with cores made of calcium and magnesium oxides and shells made largely of alumina impregnated with a nickel catalyst. Subsequent laboratory performance tests of the material showed that CO, CH 4, and toluene, which are representative products of gasification, were largely converted to H 2 by reacting the material with steam in the presence of the catalyst/sorbent, so that CO 2 was absorbed as it was produced. The sorbent was easily regenerated by raising its temperature, which made it possible to reuse the catalyst/sorbent repeatedly.