Turning glycerol surplus into renewable syngas through glycerol steam reforming over a sol-gel Ni–Mo2C-Al2O3 catalyst

In this work, a sol-gel Ni-Mo2C-Al2O3 catalyst is employed for the first time in the glycerol steam reforming for syngas production. Catalyst stability and activity are investigated in the temperature range of 550 degrees C-700 degrees C and time on stream up to 30 h. As reaction temperature increases, from 550 degrees C to 700 degrees C, H2 yield boosts from 22% to 60%. The stability test, carried out at milder conditions (600 degrees C and Gas-Hourly Space-Velocity (GHSV) of 50,000 mL h-1.gcat-1), shows high catalyst stability, up to 30 h, with final conversion, H2 yield, and H2/CO ratio of 95%, 53% and 1.95, respectively. Both virgin and spent catalysts have been characterized by a multitude of techniques, e.g., Atomic-Absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, N2-adsorption-desorption, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), among others. Regarding the spent catalysts, carbon deposits' morphology becomes more graphitic as the reaction temperature increases, and the total coke formation is mitigated by increasing reaction temperature and lowering GHSV.(c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.