| Abstract
| - Production of hydrogen from natural gas is the most cost-effective and simplest technology for commercialhydrogen generation. Natural gas is also a likely source of hydrogen for residential fuel cell systems, due toits wide availability and ease of conversion via steam methane reforming. Although catalyst technology isavailable for generating hydrogen from natural gas, the design of new catalysts and new catalytic supports toovercome the limitations associated with ceramic catalyst provides an opportunity to make the conversion ofnatural gas to hydrogen more cost-effective. In the present study, the performance of Ni−Rh/Al2O3−CeO2−ZrO2, Ni−Rh/γ-Al2O3, and Ni−Pd/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were quantitatively evaluated in terms of activity andstability using appropriate kinetic models. Catalysts were tested as powders and supported on metal foil.Results proved rhodium to be a better active agent than palladium, and catalyst activity was found to increasewith the increase in rhodium loading at both atmospheric and elevated pressures. γ-Al2O3 supported rhodiumcatalysts exhibited a better performance at a much lower rhodium loading than the Al2O3−CeO2−ZrO2supported catalysts. Mass and heat transfer advantages of the metallic support over the powder form werealso established by studying the performance of this catalyst in both forms to demonstrate the potential forthe use of metal structured support to achieve commercially relevant hydrogen production targets at lowerresidence times.
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