Oxidative steam reforming of vacuum residue for hydrogen production

Abstract A two-step process for production of hydrogen from vacuum residue has been developed. In the first step, which has already been communicated [18] , the residue is reacted with ozone to get oxidized and cracked products. Next, the catalytic oxidative steam reforming of the product obtained after ozonation over a Pt catalyst supported on La 2 O 3 -CeO 2 -γ-Al 2 O 3 was carried out. Effects of the operating conditions: the temperature, the steam to carbon ratio and the oxygen to carbon ratio on oxidative steam reforming were investigated. The oxidative steam reforming was efficient at the molar ratio of O 2 /C = 0.5, S/C = 4 at 1173 K. Pt catalyst deactivated with time due to coke formation. The catalyst could be regeneration by blowing oxygen through the catalytic bed. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, N 2 adsorption–desorption and thermo gravimetrically to understand the microstructures.