Ni–Cu and Ni–Co Supported on La–Mg Based Metal Oxides Prepared by Coprecipitation and Impregnation for Superior Hydrogen Production via Steam Reforming of Glycerol

Abstract

Catalytic steam reforming of glycerol, a byproduct of the biodiesel industry, is a candidate technique for sustainable hydrogen (H2) production. Steam reforming of glycerol to produce hydrogen is a potential method to produce hydrogen from biosources. The current work focuses on the synthesis and comparison of two novel catalysts, viz., Ni-Cu/La₂O₃-MgO and Ni-Co/La₂O₃-MgO, prepared by coprecipitation (CP) and impregnation (IP) techniques. The synthesis procedures were evaluated in terms of glycerol conversion, H2 yield, and time on stream (TOS) studies. The results so obtained revealed that the CP method was effective for producing superior H2 quantity owing to better metal anchorage with support and high surface area. Further, both the catalysts prepared by CP exhibited satisfactory activity and stability. On optimization, both the catalysts reported enhanced H2 concentration with Ni-Cu/La₂O₃-MgO reporting the highest H2 of 96.1 mol % at 773 K and S/C of 9 mol/mol. In addition, both the catalysts demonstrated multicycle durability, thus making them potential materials for large scale application. Finally, a catalytic reaction mechanism was suggested.