Hydrogen production over a commercial Pd/Al2O3 catalyst for fuel cell utilization.

In order to produce a hydrogen stream for fuel cell utilization, the study of the ethanol steam reforming process over an alumina supported palladium commercial catalyst was carried out. The effect of the reaction temperature, the H₂O/C₂H₆O molar ratios and the contact time on catalytic activity and stability was studied. It was found that even at very low temperature values complete ethanol conversion was possible. Hydrogen selectivities up to 98% were obtained at temperature values close to 625 °C. It was also observed that for different reactant molar ratios carbon monoxide concentration exhibits a minimum at a temperature value close to 450 °C. Furthermore, carbon formation was found to be negligible even for H₂O/C₂H₆O molar ratios equal to the stoichiometric one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]