Development of eficient cold-start process for oxidative reforming of n-butane for fuel cell applications

Abstract

Efficient cold-start process of hydrogen production by oxidative reforming (OR) of hydrocarbon was developed using Rh catalyst supported on carriers with redox properties. In this process, the heat generated by re-oxidation of reduced catalyst rapidly heats the catalyst from ambient temperature to the catalytic auto-ignition temperature of the OR. OR was triggered at ambient temperature over Rh/CeO2after reduction at 873 K, but not over Rh catalysts supported on Pr6O11and Tb4O7, oxides of rare earth elements with redox characters like cerium. Over the latter catalysts, reduction of the carrier occurred at lower temperatures than over CeO2, but the reduced oxides were not re-oxidized at ambient temperature. Our results emphasized that re-oxidation as well as reduction of the catalyst are the key characteristics of the carrier for triggering OR at ambient temperature. With the use of Rh/Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 with excellent redox properties at low temperature, triggering OR of hydrocarbons at ambient temperature was achieved even under non-adiabatic conditions, where heat losses occur, over the catalyst after reduction at 373 K and after in-situ reduction by hydrogen formed during the OR. This new catalytic process is expected to be useful for the development of self-sufficient reforming processes for a new generation of fuel cells.