Glycerol steam reforming over calcium hydroxyapatite supported cobalt and cobalt-cerium catalysts

Calcium hydroxyapatite（HAp） supported cobalt and cobalt-cerium catalysts were examined for hydrogen production in glycerol steam reforming. The catalysts were synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation method and characterized through X-ray diffraction, adsorption-desorption isotherms of N2 and temperature-programmed reduction of H2. Catalytic properties were examined in terms of glycerol conversion, selectivity toward hydrogen and C-containing products in temperature range of 650-800 ℃.The effect of active metal reduction and residence time（thereby flow feed rate） was analysed. It was found that the growth of residence time increased the hydrogen selectivity in the whole temperatures range whereas the catalyst reduction, before the catalytic process, decreased the hydrogen selectivity at temperatures lower than 750 ℃. The cerium addition improved the catalytic behaviour for hydrogen production via glycerol steam reforming. Cerium oxide suppressed the sintering of cobalt particles and as a result Co-Ce/HAp ensured higher stability and H2 selectivity than Co/HAp. Under reaction conditions investigated in this study, the highest selectivity toward hydrogen at 650 ℃ was obtained for 7.5 Co-Ce/HAp catalyst.