Steam reforming of ethylene glycol over Ni-based catalysts: the effect of K

The effect of K on the activities of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts in steam reforming of ethylene glycol was investigated. Ni/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and co-precipitation methods. The addition of K was achieved using an incipient wetness impregnation method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction, and scanning electron microscopy. Irrespective of the preparation method, the promotional effect of K was observed and the optimum K content (~5 wt%) was verified for K-promoted Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. The addition of K to the Ni–Al2O3 catalyst prepared by co-precipitation led to higher catalytic activity than addition of K to the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by incipient wetness impregnation.