Short commentary

, Volume: 15( 11)

• View PDF
• Download PDF

Sulfur-Resistant Catalyst Materials for Biofuel Reforming are at Focus

Stella Grace^*

*Correspondence:

Amelia Hawking
Editorial office, Trade Science Inc, UK
E-mail: organicchem@journalres.com

Abstract

Right now, biofuel reforming is a viable option for producing low-carbon, renewable hydrogen. At the centre of the process is an active and stable catalyst, which can help to improve the technology's efficiency. With this study, we expect to cover more relevant literature on heterogeneous catalysts for biofuel reforming with improved sulphur tolerance. Sulfur poisoning is explained in its simplest form. The third portion explains the fundamentals of biofuel reformation, while the fourth section discusses recent breakthroughs in the development of sulphur-resistant catalysts, separating the role of the metal (noble and non-noble) from that of the support

Introdution

Right now, biofuel reforming is a viable option for producing low-carbon, renewable hydrogen. At the centre of the process is an active and stable catalyst, which can help to improve the technology's efficiency. With this study, we expect to cover more relevant literature on heterogeneous catalysts for biofuel reforming with improved sulphur tolerance. Sulfur poisoning is explained in its simplest form. The third portion explains the fundamentals of biofuel reformation, while the fourth section discusses recent breakthroughs in the development of sulphur-resistant catalysts, separating the role of the metal (noble and non-noble) from that of the support [1]. In order to contribute to decarbonization, today's energy industry faces a difficult problem: meeting the current energy needs of an ever-increasing population while simultaneously controlling greenhouse gas emissions. On the one hand, technologies such as waste energy recovery and other renewable energy generation technologies offer possible alternatives for fulfilling future energy needs. The most recent World Energy Outlook from the International Energy Agency, on the other hand, described what it would take for the energy industry to achieve net-zero emissions. As part of their national development objectives, several countries have set ambitious goals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. International actions over the next decade will be crucial in accomplishing the 2050 target. To begin, CO2 emissions should be reduced by at least 45 percent between now and 2050 [2]. This sets a 2030 target of 20.2 Gt CO2 for the energy and industrial sectors, which must not be surpassed. The next COP26 will be a significant milestone on the road to meeting the Paris Agreements goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In this scenario, promoting hydrogen use can help to reduce emissions significantly and could be a viable approach for decarbonizing high-energy-intensive industrial sectors. In order to promote the usage of this energy vector, alternative energy sources to hydrogen synthesis have been considered. Beyond these processes, biofuel reforming is currently an appealing alternative for renewable hydrogen production due to technological developments in stationary energy systems, such as fuel cells. Using biofuels to produce hydrogen reduces net carbon dioxide emissions in energy production: biomass-derived hydrogen can be utilised in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) to convert fuels directly to electricity. Because of their low toxicity and ease of handling, ethanol, glycerol, and biodiesel are the most attractive choices for hydrogen production, whereas catalytic procedures are the most efficient. Noble metals and nickel-based catalysts, which are common catalysts for reforming reactions, are the most active species in these processes. These catalysts need to be resistant to carbon and sulphur poisoning [3]. The presence of heavy hydrocarbon and sulphur compounds can damage the reforming catalyst, as is well known. 

Chemical changes of the support and metal active species have been used in the catalyst production technique to circumvent these constraints. Catalysts using alkaline earth metal oxides and rare earth oxides in the support can achieve high carbon deposition resistance. Furthermore, experts are looking on preventing metal sintering particles in order to limit coke deposition during the reforming phase. If the deactivation of the catalyst does not result in the sintering of metal particles, the spent catalyst can be recycled and reused once the necessary re-activation techniques are able to eliminate carbon particles deposition.The inclusion of Mo, Re, or Pd as extra active species is the most common way to improve the catalyst sulphur resistance. In order to look at some possible approaches moving forward, many ways have been developed to impart sulphur resilience and increase reforming performance where sulphur compounds are regarded useful reactants. The sulphur resistance of catalysts is always highly influenced by the materials used in the design of both the active metal species and the support. Following a discussion of the fundamentals of reforming reactions and the formation of sulphur compounds, the review will focus on the role of materials in the development of sulfur-resistant reforming catalysts, with the goal of providing the reader with a useful tool with which to achieve more promising result [4]. The sulphur tolerance of reforming catalysts is always a major factor in determining reaction performance and stability, which is especially important for biofuels. Several studies and reviews have been published on this topic, and various approaches to increasing sulphur resistance in heterogeneous catalysts have been investigated in the last decade, including the incorporation of different elements, a modification of the physicochemical structure, such as core-shell morphology, a modification of electronic properties, alloying, synthesis procedures, and process experimental conditions. Hydrogen is regarded as a safe and efficient energy transporter. As a result of the environmental issues resulting from the use of fossil feedstocks, alternate techniques for its production must be considered, and the usage of biofuels can contribute to this conclusion. Biofuels, in general, are any renewable combustible fuels generated from recent (non-fossil) living matter, and include solid, liquid, and gaseous biomass fuels.