Hydrogen Production through Steam Reforming of Diesel over Highly Efficient Promoted Ni/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts Containing Lanthanide Series (La, Ce, Eu, Pr, and Gd) Promoters

The wet incipient impregnation technique was used for the synthesis of nonpromoted and lanthanide series-promoted (La, Ce, Eu, Pr, and Gd) Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were determined using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) characterization techniques. Activity and the resistance to coke formation of nonpromoted and lanthanide series-promoted 12%Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were investigated for diesel steam reforming in a fixed-bed reaction system. BET analysis showed no remarkable difference in the surface area of 12%Ni/γ-Al2O3 and 5%Pr–12%Ni/γ-Al2O3 (Pr–Ni) catalyst as compared to other promoted 12%Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts. Pr–Ni catalyst also has the higher BET surface area among other synthesized lanthanide-promoted 12%Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts. TEM analysis indicated uniform metal dispersion of promoted catalysts. Moreover, T...