Glycerin Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production

Biodiesel production is expected to grow steadily in the future. In converting vegetable oils into biodiesel, approximately 10% (w/w) of glycerin is produced as a by-product. With the increasing production of biodiesel, there would be glut of glycerin in the world market; therefore, it is essential to find useful applications for this by-product. Glycerin is a potential feedstock for hydrogen production because one mole of glycerin can produce up to four moles of hydrogen. The objective of this study was to develop, test, and characterize promising catalysts for hydrogen production from steam reforming of glycerin. The following five catalysts were prepared on ceramic foam monoliths (92% Al2O3, 8% SiO2): rhodium-cerium, rhodium-cerium-platinum, ruthenium-yttrium, nickel, and iridium. The catalysts were prepared by the incipient wetness technique. This article discusses selectivity data of the selected gases resulting from the glycerin steam reforming process. The study found that the rhodium-cerium-platinum catalyst was the most selective towards hydrogen under the experimental conditions investigated (700C, 1 atm, and gas hourly specific velocity of 9.2 104 h-1). The glycerin conversion was 100% with all the catalysts tested.