Coke-resistant pt-ni/ceo2/sio2 catalysts for ethanol reforming

In this study, oxidative steam reforming of ethanol at low-temperature was investigated over bimetallic catalysts supported on CeO2/SiO2, having different ceria content (20-40 wt%). The activity was studied between 300 and 600°C, under a 10%C2H5OH/40%H2O/5%O2/45%N2 stream; catalyst stability was evaluated at the same feeding conditions by fixing the temperature to 500°C. The results of catalyst characterization (BET, XRD, TPR) allowed the explanation of the different catalytic performances, in terms of activity and stability. The sample containing 30wt% of ceria displayed the highest durability, assuring total ethanol conversion and a stable behavior for more than 130 h. This result was related to the low dimension of Ni crystallites, which reduced carbon formation rate and improved catalyst resistance towards deactivation