Novel steam-reforming catalyst for H 2 production with reduced CO 2 emissions
Dr Manfred Nacken of C & CS Catalysts and Chemical Specialties and Julien Meyer of the Institute for Energy Technology introduce a new catalyst
For hydrogenation processes in the fine and speciality chemicals industry , on-site production of hydrogen is still done by the conventional steam-reforming process of natural gas ( SMR , Figure 1 ). This generates substantial
CO 2 emissions . In addition , postcombustion CO 2 capture methods are cost-intensive and bring a significant energy-efficiency penalty to the process .
For a more energy-efficient natural gas-based hydrogen production process with reduced CO 2 emissions , a new emerging reforming technology called sorption-enhanced reforming ( SER , Figure 1 ) has been further developed within the framework of the Horizon 2020-funded project
MEMBER ( Advanced MEMBranes and membrane assisted procEsses for pre- and post- combustion CO 2 captuRe , project number 760944 ). 1-3
In this European project , membraneassisted sorption-enhanced reforming ( MA-SER ) was developed as an advanced SER process for the production of pure ( 99.9 vol % purity ) hydrogen and 90 % CO 2 capture by introducing palladium-based membranes in the reformer reactor in order to achieve maximised process intensification by substituting the pressure swing adsorption ( PSA ) unit in the SER process .
In the SER process , catalytic steam-reforming of methane according to equation 1 is performed in the presence of a CaO-containing sorbent , so that the CO 2 formed in the water shift reaction ( equation 2 ) can be captured in the carbonation reaction ( equation 3 ). 1 . CH 4
+ H 2 O - > CO + 3 H 2
2 . CO + H 2 O - > CO 2
+ H 2
3 . CaO + CO 2 - > CaCO 3
4 . CH 4 + 2 H 2
O + CaO - > 4 H 2
+ CaCO 3
Via this reaction , the equilibrium reactions 1 + 2 are shifted to the product side according to the Le Chatelier principle , allowing a substantial reduction ( from typically 850-900 ° C to 600 ° C ) of the operating temperature and increasing the hydrogen yield to concentrations of 95 + vol % ( dry basis ). Moreover , no subsequent water-gas shift and CO 2
-removal steps are necessary .
Figure 3 - Relative BET surface area of C & CS # 1050 at laboratory- , 5- and 50-kg scale versus a MgO- & CaAl2 O4 -supported nickel catalyst using a commercially available MgO & CaAl2 O4 support of a comparable grain size fraction
14 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981