Hydrogen production by reforming of methanol with Pd/CeO₂-Sm₂O₃ catalysts

The behavior of two 2% Pd/Sm₂O₃-CeO₂ catalysts with the support calcined at different temperatures in the reforming of methanol was studied to be used as electro-catalysts in Direct Methanol Intermediate Temperature Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell. Activity measurements were performed in a fixed bed micro-reactor using 0.1 g of catalyst at 1 atm, 400°C, space velocity of 0.32 mole/hr-g cat, H₂O/CH₃OH molar ratio = 1.2:1 and a methanol concentration in the gas stream of 15 mole %. The catalyst with the support calcined at 800°C (Pd/CS-800) was considerably more efficient for H₂ production. A thicker layer of Sm₂O₃ decorating CeO₂ particles was observed in Pd/CS-1000, which led to a stronger interaction with the Pd particles, so hindering its spread into the support and making them more inaccessible to the gas atmosphere. A better Pd dispersion and a more homogeneous distribution in the surface of Sm₂O₃ was found. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering (Montréal, Quebec, Canada 8/23-27/2009).