Production of hydrogen over bimetallic Pt–Ni/δ-Al2O3: I. Indirect partial oxidation of propane

Indirect partial oxidation (IPOX) of propane was studied over bimetallic 0.2 wt.% Pt–15 wt.% Ni/δ-Al₂O₃ catalyst in the 623–743 K temperature range. The unreduced and reduced forms of the catalyst were characterized by ESEM–EDAX and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the IPOX tests, the effects of steam to carbon ratio (S/C), carbon to oxygen ratio (C/O₂) and residence time (W/F (g_cat h/mol HC)) on the hydrogen production activity, selectivity and product distribution were studied in detail. The effect of temperature program applied (increasing from 623 to 743 K, ITP; decreasing from 743 to 623 K, DTP) during reaction was also tested. The results showed that the Pt–Ni bimetallic system has superior performance characteristics compared to the monometallic catalysts reported in literature. The reason is thought to be the utilization of the catalyst particles as micro heat exchangers during IPOX; the heat generated by Pt sites during exothermic total oxidation (TOX) being readily transferred through the catalyst particles acting as micro heat exchangers to the Ni sites, which promote endothermic steam reforming (SR). The optimal conditions were found as S/C = 3, C/O₂ = 2.70 and W/F = 0.51 g_cat h/mol HC for IPOX of propane on the basis of high hydrogen productivity and selectivity between 623 and 748 K for the experimental conditions tested. The thermo-neutral points obtained showed the sustainability of reaction in terms of energy.